Diversification of small-scale fishing activities in exploring entrepreneurial opportunities along the tourism value chain in South Africa

Small-scale fishers (SSFs) are finding it difficult to cope with the limited returns from fishing activities. Diversification of fishing activities becomes necessary in ensuring the sustainable use of fishing resources by exploring entrepreneurial opportunities available in other sectors including the tourism value chain. Little is known on the extent to which small-scale fishers in South Africa have explored opportunities available along the tourism value chain. The qualitative study was conducted in the Western and Eastern Capes Provinces of South Africa. Using data from key informant interviews, focus group discussions and literature reviews, we found that the majority of small-scale fishers depend on activities within the fishing mainstream with limited integration in the tourism value chain through diversification strategy. For fishers to diversify out of the fishing industry and engage in tourism activities, they should be supported with the necessary resources, such as finances, and common leadership structures in addition to instituting policy changes within the two sectors to accommodate linkages through diversification.The Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (LGSETA), South Africa.https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/OASShj2024Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural DevelopmentSDG-02:Zero Hunge

Does insecticide resistance contribute to heterogeneities in malaria transmission in The Gambia?

BACKGROUND: Malaria hotspots, areas with consistently higher than average transmission, may become increasingly common as malaria declines. This phenomenon, currently observed in The Gambia, may be caused by several factors, including some related to the local vectors, whose contribution is poorly understood. METHODS: Using WHO susceptibility bioassays, insecticide resistance status was determined in vector populations sampled from six pairs of villages across The Gambia, each pair contained a low and high prevalence village. RESULTS: Three vector species were observed (23.5% Anopheles arabiensis, 31.2% Anopheles gambiae, 43.3% Anopheles coluzzii and 2.0% An. coluzzii × An. gambiae hybrids). Even at a fine scale, significant differences in species composition were detected within village pairs. Resistance to both DDT and deltamethrin was more common in An. gambiae, most markedly in the eastern part of The Gambia and partly attributable to differing frequencies of resistance mutations. The Vgsc-1014F target site mutation was strongly associated with both DDT (OR = 256.7, (95% CI 48.6-6374.3, p < 0.001) and deltamethrin survival (OR = 9.14, (95% CI 4.24-21.4, p < 0.001). A second target site mutation, Vgsc-1575Y, which co-occurs with Vgsc-1014F, and a metabolic marker of resistance, Gste2-114T, conferred additional survival benefits to both insecticides. DDT resistance occurred significantly more frequently in villages with high malaria prevalence (p = 0.025) though this did not apply to deltamethrin resistance. CONCLUSION: Whilst causality of relationships requires further investigation, variation in vector species and insecticide resistance in The Gambia is associated with malaria endemicity; with a notably higher prevalence of infection and insecticide resistance in the east of the country. In areas with heterogeneous malaria transmission, the role of the vector should be investigated to guide malaria control interventions

Care seeking during pregnancy: testing the assumptions behind service delivery redesign for maternal and newborn health in rural Kenya

A health systems reform known as Service Delivery Redesign (SDR) for maternal and newborn health seeks to make high-quality delivery care universal in Kakamega County, in western Kenya, by strengthening hospital-level care and making hospital deliveries the default option for pregnant women. Using a large prospective survey of new mothers in Kakamega County, we examine several key assumptions that underpin the SDR policy’s theory of change. We analyse data on place of delivery, travel time and distance, out-of-pocket spending, and self-reported quality of care for 19 127 women prospectively enrolled during antenatal care (ANC) and surveyed two times after their delivery. We analyze changes in womens’ delivery location preferences in recent years in Kakamega, and over the course of their most recent pregnancy. We also evaluate travel time, out-of-pocket expenditures and patient satisfaction for women who deliver in public hospitals vs primary health centres. We find substantial changes in delivery location at the population level over time and for individual women over the course of pregnancy. Facility delivery has increased from 50.4% in 2010 to 89.5% in 2019; 70% of respondents deliver at a different facility than their reported intention at ANC. Out-of-pocket delivery expenditures are on average 1351 Kenyan shillings (Ksh) in hospitals compared to 964 Ksh in PHC (primary health care)s (P &amp;lt; 0.01). Transport expenditures are 337 Ksh for PHC level deliveries vs 422 Ksh for hospitals (P &amp;lt; 0.01). Self-reported average travel time is 51 min (PHC delivery) vs 47 min (hospital delivery) (P = 0.78). The average distance to a delivery location is 15.1 km for PHC deliveries vs 15.2 km for hospitals (P = 0.99). There were no differences in overall patient-reported quality scores, while some subcomponents of quality favoured hospitals. These findings support several key assumptions of the SDR theory of change in Kakamega County, while also highlighting important challenges that should be addressed to increase the likelihood of successful implementation

Distribution of Anopheles gambiae thioester-containing protein 1 alleles along malaria transmission gradients in The Gambia.

BACKGROUND: Thioester-containing protein 1 (TEP1) is a highly polymorphic gene playing an important role in mosquito immunity to parasite development and associated with Anopheles gambiae vectorial competence. Allelic variations in TEP1 could render mosquito either susceptible or resistant to parasite infection. Despite reports of TEP1 genetic variations in An. gambiae, the correlation between TEP1 allelic variants and transmission patterns in malaria endemic settings remains unclear. METHODS: TEP1 allelic variants were characterized by PCR from archived genomic DNA of > 1000 An. gambiae mosquitoes collected at 3 time points between 2009 and 2019 from eastern Gambia, where malaria transmission remains moderately high, and western regions with low transmission. RESULTS: Eight common TEP1 allelic variants were identified at varying frequencies in An. gambiae from both transmission settings. These comprised the wild type TEP1, homozygous susceptible genotype, TEP1s; homozygous resistance genotypes: TEP1rA and TEP1rB, and the heterozygous resistance genotypes: TEP1srA, TEP1srB, TEP1rArB and TEP1srArB. There was no significant disproportionate distribution of the TEP1 alleles by transmission setting and the temporal distribution of alleles was also consistent across the transmission settings. TEP1s was the most common in all vector species in both settings (allele frequencies: East = 21.4-68.4%. West = 23.5-67.2%). In Anopheles arabiensis, the frequency of wild type TEP1 and susceptible TEP1s was significantly higher in low transmission setting than in high transmission setting (TEP1: Z = - 4.831, P < 0.0001; TEP1s: Z = - 2.073, P = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of TEP1 allele variants does not distinctly correlate with malaria endemicity pattern in The Gambia. Further studies are needed to understand the link between genetic variations in vector population and transmission pattern in the study settings. Future studies on the implication for targeting TEP1 gene for vector control strategy such as gene drive systems in this settings is also recommended

Anopheles gambiae s.l. swarms trapping as a complementary tool against residual malaria transmission in eastern Gambia

Malaria remains a major health problem and vector control is an essential approach to decrease its burden, although it is threatened by insecticide resistance. New approaches for vector control are needed. The females of Anopheles gambiae s.l. mate once in their life and in the swarms formed by males. Trapping swarms of Anopheles gambiae s.l. males is a potential new intervention for vector control, alternative to the use of insecticides, as it would disrupt mating . The proof-of-concept pilot study aiming at investigating swarm trapping as a potential vector control intervention, was carried out in 6 villages as in eastern Gambia. Swarms of Anopheles gambiae s.l. were identified and their size, height, and duration determined during the baseline year. Swarm trapping by local volunteers was implemented the following transmission season in 4 villages while the other 2 villages were taken as controls. Entomological outcomes were monitored by Human Landing Catches and Pyrethrum Spray Catches. A cross-sectional survey to determine malaria prevalence was carried out at the peak of the malaria transmission season for two consecutive years. At baseline, 23 swarming sites of Anopheles gambiae s.l. were identified. Before the intervention, mean indoor resting density per house and malaria prevalence were similar between control and intervention villages. Following the intervention, Anopheles gambiae s.l. indoor resting density was 44% lower in intervention than in control villages (adj IRR: 0.0.56; 95% CI 0.47-0.68); the odds of malaria infections were 68% lower in intervention than in control villages (OR: 0.32; 95% CI 0.11-0.97). Swarm trapping seems to be a promising, community-based vector control intervention that could reduce malaria prevalence by reducing vector density. Such results should be further investigated and confirmed by larger cluster-randomized trials

Status of insecticide resistance in Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) of The Gambia.

BACKGROUND: Vector control activities, namely long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) and indoor residual spraying (IRS), have contributed significantly to the decreasing malaria burden observed in The Gambia since 2008. Nevertheless, insecticide resistance may threaten such success; it is important to regularly assess the susceptibility of local malaria vectors to available insecticides. METHODS: In the transmission seasons of 2016 and 2017, Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) larvae were sampled in or around the nine vector surveillance sentinel sites of the Gambia National Malaria Control Programme (GNMCP) and in a few additional sampling points. Using WHO susceptibility bioassays, female adult mosquitoes were exposed to insecticide-impregnated papers. Molecular identification of sibling species and insecticide resistance molecular markers was done on a subset of 2000 female mosquitoes. RESULTS: A total of 4666 wild-caught female adult mosquitoes were exposed to either permethrin (n = 665), deltamethrin (n = 744), DDT (n = 1021), bendiocarb (n = 990) or pirimiphos-methyl (n = 630) insecticide-impregnated papers and control papers (n = 616). Among the 2000 anophelines, 1511 (80.7%) were Anopheles arabiensis, 204 (10.9%) Anopheles coluzzii, 75 (4%) Anopheles gambiae (s.s.), and 83 (4.4%) An. gambiae (s.s.) and An. coluzzii hybrids. There was a significant variation in the composition and species distribution by regions and year, P = 0.009. Deltamethrin, permethrin and DDT resistance was found in An. arabiensis, especially in the coastal region, and was mediated by Vgsc-1014F/S mutations (odds ratio = 34, P = 0.014). There was suspected resistance to pirimiphos-methyl (actellic 300CS) in the North Bank Region although only one survivor had the Ace-1-119S mutation. CONCLUSIONS: As no confirmed resistance to bendiocarb and actellic 300CS was detected, the national malaria control programme can continue using these insecticides for IRS. Nevertheless, the detection of Ace-1 119S mutation warrants extensive monitoring. The source of insecticide pressure driving insecticide resistance to pyrethroids and DDT detected at the coastal region should be further investigated in order to properly manage the spread of resistance in The Gambia

Population genomic evidence of a putative ‘far-west’ African cryptic taxon in the Anopheles gambiae complex

The two main Afrotropical malaria vectors - Anopheles coluzzii and An. gambiae – are genetically distinct and reproductively isolated across West Africa. However, populations at the western extreme of their range are assigned as “intermediate” between the two species by whole genome sequence (WGS) data, and as hybrid forms by conventional molecular diagnostics. By exploiting WGS data from 1190 specimens collected across west Africa via the Anopheles gambiae 1000 Genomes network, we identified a putative taxon in the far-west (provisionally named Bissau molecular form), which did not arise by admixture but rather may have originated at the same time as the split between An. coluzzii and An. gambiae. Intriguingly, this taxon lacks insecticide resistance mechanisms commonly observed in the two main species. These findings lead to a change of perspective on malaria vector species in the far-west region with potential for epidemiological implications, and a new challenge for genetic-based mosquito control approaches

Comparison of four outdoor mosquito trapping methods as potential replacements for human landing catches in western Kenya

Introduction Longitudinal monitoring of outdoor-biting malaria vector populations is becoming increasingly important in understanding the dynamics of residual malaria transmission. However, the human landing catch (HLC), the gold standard for measuring human biting rates indoors and outdoors, is costly and raises ethical concerns related to increased risk of infectious bites among collectors. Consequently, routine data on outdoor-feeding mosquito populations are usually limited because of the lack of a scalable tool with similar sensitivity to outdoor HLC. Methodology The Anopheles trapping sensitivity of four baited proxy outdoor trapping methods—Furvela tent trap (FTT), host decoy trap (HDT), mosquito electrocuting traps (MET) and outdoor CDC light traps (OLT)—was assessed relative to HLC in a 5 × 5 replicated Latin square conducted over 25 nights in two villages of western Kenya. Indoor CDC light trap (ILT) was run in one house in each of the compounds with outdoor traps, while additional non-Latin square indoor and outdoor HLC collections were performed in one of the study villages. Results The MET, FTT, HDT and OLT sampled approximately 4.67, 7.58, 5.69 and 1.98 times more An. arabiensis compared to HLC, respectively, in Kakola Ombaka. Only FTT was more sensitive relative to HLC in sampling An. funestus in Kakola Ombaka (RR = 5.59, 95% CI 2.49–12.55, P < 0.001) and Masogo (RR = 4.38, 95% CI 1.62–11.80, P = 0.004) and in sampling An. arabiensis in Masogo (RR = 5.37, 95% CI 2.17–13.24, P < 0.001). OLT sampled significantly higher numbers of An. coustani in Kakola Ombaka (RR = 3.03, 95% CI 1.65–5.56, P < 0.001) and Masogo (RR = 2.88, 95% CI 1.15–7.22, P = 0.02) compared to HLC. OLT, HLC and MET sampled mostly An. coustani, FTT had similar proportions of An. funestus and An. arabiensis, while HDT sampled predominantly An. arabiensis in both villages. FTT showed close correlation with ILT in vector abundance for all three species at both collection sites. Conclusion FTT and OLT are simple, easily scalable traps and are potential replacements for HLC in outdoor sampling of Anopheles mosquitoes. However, the FTT closely mirrored indoor CDC light trap in mosquito indices and therefore may be more of an indoor mimic than a true outdoor collection tool. HDT and MET show potential for sampling outdoor host-seeking mosquitoes. However, the traps as currently designed may not be feasible for large-scale, longitudinal entomological monitoring. Therefore, the baited outdoor CDC light trap may be the most appropriate tool currently available for assessment of outdoor-biting and malaria transmission risk

On-going malaria transmission in The Gambia despite high coverage of control interventions: a nationwide cross-sectional survey

Background: As indicators of burden of malaria have substantially decreased in The Gambia, reaching a pre-elimination status may be attainable. Achieving this goal requires in-depth understanding of the current burden of Plasmodium falciparum infection. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2012 to determine the prevalence of P. falciparum infection, and to describe its heterogeneity and associated risk factors. Finger-prick blood samples were collected for microscopy, species-specific PCR and haemoglobin measurement. Results: A total of 9,094 participants were included and median age was 11.9 years (IQR 5, 28). Overall prevalence of P. falciparum was 16.01 % with marked heterogeneity between sites (4.32-36.75 %) and within villages in each site (1.63-49.13 %). Across all sites, 51.17 % (745/1,456) of infections were asymptomatic and 35.61 % (448/1,258) were sub-microscopic. The odds of P. falciparum infection were higher in older children; 5-15 years (OR = 1.90; 95 % CI 1.60-2.26), adults (OR = 1.48; 95 % CI 1.24-1.78) and participants with moderate anaemia (OR = 1.62; 95 % CI 1.32-1.99). Conclusions: The current malaria control interventions are not sufficient to interrupt transmission in The Gambia as malaria prevalence is still relatively high in the eastern part of the country. New interventions aiming at interrupting transmission are needed and should be urgently evaluated

Black diplomacies : colonialism, race and the poetics of mediating estrangement

Ph.D. University of Hawaii at Manoa 2012.Includes bibliographical references.Drawing upon genealogical studies that conceptualize diplomacy as the mediation of estrangement, this dissertation engages various sites of African estrangement, multiple conceptions of the political and the mediation practices that accompany them. Beginning with an examination of missionary proselytism, proto-colonial humanitarianism and anti-colonial modes of sociality, the dissertation proceeds to engage the specters of colonial governance in the postcolony and uses these insights to problematize the monological conception of diplomacy as a professional practice. Accordingly, the dissertation maintains a critical stance with regard to the regimes of diplomatic/colonial recognition that privilege secularism, statecraft, propriety and racialized bodies and encourages an engagement with diplomatic bodies, sites and aesthetic practices that are often considered undiplomatic as a result of racial and colonial discourses. Through an exploration of the mediatory capacities of objects (and objectified persons), the dead and everyday encounters that illustrate that the 'personal is diplomatic,' the dissertation explores, and in some instances suggests the pursuit of 'amateur diplomacies of everyday life'. It encourages as well, the experimentation with an ethics of encounter and forms of cultural translation or modalities of co-habitation and return that disturb or negotiate the inventions and negations of colonial pasts (and their specters in the present). The insights derived from the problematization and pluralization of the diplomatic in this dissertation are also used to engage in a critique of the new forms of violence and the diplomatic entanglements and sites of estrangement that emerge in the postcolony