48 research outputs found
Potential for No-Tillage Agriculture in the Pandamatenga Vertisols of Botswana
The objective of this paper was to conduct an extensive literature review to assess the status and potential of no-tillage as an alternative tillage system on vertisols in the Pandamatenga farms, Botswana. Farmers in the area have failed to produce satisfactory crop yield levels because of problems associated with management of the soils using conventional tillage systems. Information f rom literature showed that no-tillage system was effective in improving soil quality, water management, and crop yield in the area. However, there is a need to carryout in-field trials to monitor changes in the soil quality and the environment under no-tillage and conventional tillage systems
Conditions for coaching to contribute to the adjustment of black African professionals
Orientation:Â Efforts to attract and retain black African professionals in Cape Town-based organisations are often met with challenges. Coaching has been identified as a potential strategic contributor for developing a sense of inclusivity and successful adjustment for black African professionals.
Research purpose:Â The study investigated the contribution that coaching makes and aimed at understanding the conditions required for coaching to support the adjustment process during relocation.
Motivation for the study:Â Too little is known in South Africa of how coaching can impact the adjustment during relocation. There is a need to identify key conditions that would enable a successful coaching process for migrating groups in the larger South African context.
Research design/approach and method:Â A qualitative inductive methodology approach was followed to guide the study, consisting of 11 in-depth interviews with three different professional groups to elicit various perspectives.
Main findings:Â It can be concluded that coaching contributes to black African professionalsâ adjustment to living and working in South Africa. The success of the coaching outcome and capability for adjustment depends on the individual, the coach and the environment in which they work. The supporting conditions that were commonly found from the three professional groups were support and space for the individual, while depth and match played a key role according to coaches and human resource (HR) professionals.
Practical/managerial implications:Â This article provides guidelines and recommendations for HR and senior managers in any organisation that experiences a complexity infused by racial and cultural diversity within its internal and external context. The study shows ways in which coaching as a tool can be useful in dealing with cross-cultural dynamics that prevail in South Africa and South Africa-based organisations especially during relocation adjustment.
Contribution/value-add:Â The body of knowledge contributes to understanding coaching in a diverse society reflected in cross-cultural organisations and the key conditions influencing the coaching intervention during an adjustment process
SORGHUM YIELD AND ASSOCIATED SATELLITE-DERIVED METEOROLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN SEMI-ARID BOTSWANA
Africa has sparse meteorological stations, hence it is increasingly
common to use satellite-derived meteorological parameters, where
in-situ measuremnts are not available. The objective of this study was
to determine if there is a relationship between sorghum yield and
meteorological parameters (measured and satellite-derived). Sorghum (
Sorghum bicolor ) yield for five seasons (2005/6 to 2009/10) from the
Botswana Department of Crop Production Station in Pandamatenga, actual
rainfall from the Botswana Meteorologial Services, and Normalised
Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Satellite Rainfall Estimates
(RFEs) data from Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) were
used in this study to determine relationships between the yield and
satellite derived estimates. Although the NDVI and RFEs data were
available for 2005 to 2011 (6 seasons), the limiting factor was the
actual yield data which were only available for 2005 to 2010 (5
seasons). The Pearson Correlations Coefficient between seasonal
rainfall and seasonal NDVI was 0.77 and seasonal RFE and seasonal NDVI
was -0.19. Further correlation coefficient between sorghum yield and
seasonal NDVI is 0.88. The correlation coefficient between sorghum
yield and seasonal rainfall was 0.53; while correlation coefficient
between sorghum yield and seasonal RFEs was -0.38. The sorghum NDVI
signature reacted positively to the the seasonal rainfall, while
sorghum NDVI signature was not correlated with the 1 Km resolution RFEs
data. Furthermore, there was good correlation between sorghum yield and
both the seasonal NDVI and seasonal rainfall, the seasonal NDVI seemed
to predict yield slightly better than the seasonal rainfall. There seem
to be a potential to use RFEs to predict yield though there are still
problems associated with RFEs.L\u2019Afrique a des stations m\ue9t\ue9orologiques rares o\uf9
il est de plus en plus courant d\u2019utiliser des param\ue8tres
provenant de satellites m\ue9t\ue9orologiques, o\uf9 in situ
measuremnts ne sont pas disponibles. L\u2019objectif de cette
\ue9tude \ue9tait de d\ue9terminer se il y avait une relation
entre le rendement du sorgho et des param\ue8tres
m\ue9t\ue9orologiques (mesur\ue9es et obtenues par satellite). Du
sorgho ( Sorghum bicolor ) rendement pendant cinq saisons
(2005/6-2009/10) du minist\ue8re du Botswana de la station de la
production agricole \ue0 Pandamatenga, pr\ue9cipitations
r\ue9elle de la Meteorologial services Botswana, et indice de
v\ue9g\ue9tation normalis\ue9 (NDVI) et Satellite
pr\ue9cipitations estimations (RFE) donn\ue9es de Famine Early
Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) ont \ue9t\ue9 utilis\ue9s dans
cette \ue9tude pour d\ue9terminer les relations entre le rendement
et le satellite estimations tir\ue9es. Bien que les donn\ue9es de
NDVI et RFEs \ue9taient disponibles pour 2005-2011 (6 saisons), le
facteur limitant \ue9tait les donn\ue9es de rendement r\ue9els
qui ne \ue9tait disponible pour 2005-2010 (5 saisons). Les
corr\ue9lations Pearson Coefficient entre les pr\ue9cipitations
saisonni\ue8res et NDVI saisonni\ue8re \ue9tait de 0,77 et RFE
saisonni\ue8re et saisonni\ue8re NDVI \ue9tait -0,19. En outre
coefficient de corr\ue9lation entre le rendement du sorgho et NDVI
saison est de 0,88. Enfin, le coefficient de corr\ue9lation entre le
rendement de sorgho et pr\ue9cipitations saisonni\ue8re \ue9tait
de 0,53; tandis que le coefficient de corr\ue9lation entre le
rendement de sorgho et RFE saisonniers \ue9tait -0,38. La signature
sorgho NDVI a r\ue9agi positivement \ue0 l\u2019pluies
saisonni\ue8res, tandis que la signature sorgho NDVI ne est pas
corr\ue9l\ue9e avec les 1 km de r\ue9solution RFEs donn\ue9es.
En outre, il y avait une bonne corr\ue9lation entre le rendement de
sorgho et \ue0 la fois le NDVI saison et des pr\ue9cipitations
saisonni\ue8res, le NDVI saison semblait pr\ue9dire le rendement
l\ue9g\ue8rement meilleur que les pluies saisonni\ue8res. Il
semble y avoir un potentiel d\u2019utiliser RFE \ue0 pr\ue9dire le
rendement se il ya encore des probl\ue8mes li\ue9s \ue0 RFE
Stronger Training Programs for Better Transitions and Improved Retention: The Experience of a Bridging Program to Facilitate the Transition from Medical School to Internship Training in Botswana
Assessing the Impact of Standardized Educational Curriculum Modules on Medical Internsâ Preparedness for Independent Practice in Botswana
Implications of upgrading from traditional rain-fed system to irrigated and mechanized system under NAMPAADD: a case study of a farmer in the Ngwaketse agricultural district
An assessment of socio-economic potential for Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) in semi-arid Bobirwa Sub-district of Eastern Botswana
This study assessed the socio-economic potential of the Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) techniques for crop production in the semi-arid area of Bobirwa Sub-district, Botswana. The main methods used to collect the data were the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) approaches and researcher-farmer managed field experimentation. The data collected included the constraints to crop production and available ways of conserving soil moisture in the study area. Viability, acceptance and perception of farmers towards RWH technologies in the Sub-district were also assessed. Constraints faced by farmers in arable farming were identified as low and unreliable rainfall, pests and diseases and lack of farm implements (ranked in order of severity). Researcher-farmer managed trials were carried out with various catchment area sizes against a cropped area of 25 m2. Catchment area sizes were 25m2, 50m2, 75m2 and no catchment, resulting in catchment area to cropped area ratios of 1:1, 2:1 3: 1 and 0:1 (a control plot). Randomized Block Design (RBD) with two replicates in each village was used. Soil moisture content results were analyzed using Statistical Analysis Software (SAS Version 9.2), two way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), at 5% level of confidence using Duncanâs comparison method. Gross margins were calculated as the difference between the cost of production and income from the production. Openstat software was used to analyze the gross margins using Scheffesâ comparison at alpha = 0.05. At the end of the trials period, a questionnaire was administered to the selected farmers in order to draw farmerâs perception towards the technology. The results showed that a catchment area to cropped area ratio of 3:1 had significantly higher soil moisture storage (for improved crop growth) compared to 0:1, 1:1 and 2:1 ratios in each village. In the analysis of gross margins, a catchment area to cropped area ratio of 3:1 had a significantly higher gross margin (P= 0.885) of maize compared to 0:1, 1:1 and 2:1. Farmersâ perception interviews showed that farmers had positive views towards the adoption of the RWH technologies. Over 75% of the farmers showed interest towards acceptance and adoption of RWH technologies
LongâTerm NoâTill Impacts on Organic Carbon and Properties of Two Contrasting Soils and Corn Yields in Ohio
Availability of WHO Essential Medicines for Cancer Treatment in Botswana
Purpose: Stock outs of cancer drugs are potentially fatal but have not been systematically studied in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to determine the availability and alignment of the Botswana National Essential Medicines List (NEML) for cancer drugs with the WHOâs Essential Medicines List (EML). Methods: The availability and cost of cancer drugs were analyzed using data from a weekly stock catalog sent by Botswanaâs Central Medical Store to all pharmacy departments in government hospitals. Comparative data were extracted from the WHO EML and the âInternational Drug Price Indicator Guide-2014â from the Management Sciences for Health. Interviews with key informants were used to collect data on the Botswana NEML and the drug supply chain in the public sector. Results: The 2015 Botswana NEML for cancer had 80.5% alignment with the WHO EML. At least 40% of essential drugs were out of stock for a median duration of 30 days in 2015. Stock outs affected chemotherapy drugs included in first-line regimens for treating potentially curable diseases such as cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer and were not associated with buyer price of therapy. Analyses showed that the median price ratio for procured drugs was greater than 1 for 61% of the NEML drugs, which suggests inefficiency in procurement in the public sector. Conclusions: Botswana has one of the highest alignments of NEML to the WHO EML in the sub-Saharan African region, which is consistent with investment in the health care system evident in other clinical spheres. Better quantification of chemotherapy requirements using data from the National Cancer Registry and resource-sensitive treatment guidelines can help reduce stock outs and facilitate more effective and efficient procurement processes
Methodology to forecast volume and cost of cancer drugs in low- and middle-income countries
Purpose
In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), frequent outages of the stock of cancer drugs undermine cancer care delivery and are potentially fatal for patients with cancer. The aim of this study is to describe a methodologic approach to forecast chemotherapy volume and estimate cost that can be readily updated and applied in most LMICs.
Methods
Prerequisite data for forecasting are population-based incidence data and cost estimates per unit of drug to be ordered. We used the supplementary guidelines from the WHO list of essential medicines for cancer to predict treatment plans and ordering patterns. We used de-identified aggregate data from the Botswana National Cancer Registry to estimate incident cases. The WHO Management Sciences for Health International Price Indicator was used to estimate unit costs per drug.
Results
Chemotherapy volume required for incident cancer cases was estimated as the product of the standardized dose required to complete a full treatment regimen per patient, with a given cancer diagnosis and stage, multiplied by the total number of incident cancer cases with the respective diagnosis. The estimated chemotherapy costs to treat the 10 most common cancers in the public health care sector of Botswana is approximately 2.3 million US dollars. An estimated 66% of the budget is allocated to costs of rituximab and trastuzumab alone, which are used by approximately 10% of the cancer population.
Conclusion
This method provides a reproducible approach to forecast chemotherapy volume and cost in LMICs. The chemotherapy volume and cost outputs of this methodology provide key stakeholders with valuable information that can guide budget estimation, resource allocation, and drug-price negotiations for cancer treatment. Ultimately, this will minimize drug shortages or outages and reduce potential loss of lives that result from an erratic drug supply