The Chambo restoration strategic plan

The Chambo (Oreochromis karongae, O. squamipinnis and O. lidole) fisheries are essential to the food security of the majority of Malawians and a lifeline for rural and urban economies. The chambo fisheries, however, have collapsed and urgent restoration is required. Successful restoration of the important chambo fisheries demands a careful analysis of the problem and formulation of a strategic plan to implement relevant activities that will result in effective interventions in the fisheries. These proceedings give information on the process of developing a strategic plan for the restoration of the chambo fisheries. The papers contained in these proceedings cover topics ranging from governance, policy, biology, ecology and socio-economics and, therefore, inform the reader of the scope of knowledge on the chambo, the socio-economic and livelihoods context within which the people exploiting the resource operate, and past constraints to the management of the chambo fisheries. The proceedings also contain recommendations on how to overcome the problems and a strategic plan for the restoration of the fisheries. It is hoped that the proceedings will emphasize to researchers in the natural and social sciences and development practitioners that a multidisciplinary approach is needed that puts the people utilizing the resource at the center of all activities involved if the chambo fisheries are to be successfully restoredFisheries, Fish culture, Fishery management, Resource conservation, Resource management, Malawi, Oreochromis karongae, Oreochromis squamipinnis, Oreochromis lidole

Moral distress in nursing practice in Malawi

The aim of this study was to explore the existence of moral distress among nurses in Lilongwe District of Malawi. Qualitative research was conducted in selected health institutions of Lilongwe District in Malawi to assess knowledge and causes of moral distress among nurses and coping mechanisms and sources of support that are used by morally distressed nurses. Data were collected from a purposive sample of 20 nurses through in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. Thematic analysis of qualitative data was used. The results show that nurses, irrespective of age, work experience and tribe, experienced moral distress related to patient/nursing care. The major distressing factors were inadequate resources and lack of respect from patients, guardians, peers and bosses. Nurses desire teamwork and ethics committees in their health institutions as a means of controlling and preventing moral distress. There is a need for creation of awareness for nurses to recognize and manage moral distress, thus optimizing their ability to provide quality and uncompromised nursing care. </jats:p

Maternal, dominance and additive genetic effects in Nile tilapia; influence on growth, fillet yield and body size traits

There are only few studies of dominance effects in non-inbred aquaculture species, since commonly used mating designs often have low power to separate dominance, maternal and common environmental effects. Here, a factorial design with reciprocal cross, common rearing of eggs and subsequent lifecycle stages and pedigree assignment using DNA microsatellites was used to separate these effects and estimate dominance (d2) and maternal (m2) ratios in Nile tilapia for six commercial traits. The study included observations on 2524 offspring from 155 full-sib families. Substantial contributions of dominance were observed (P < 0.05) for body depth (BD) and body weight at harvest (BWH) with estimates of d2 = 0.27 (s.e. 0.09) and 0.23 (s.e. 0.09), respectively in the current breeding population. In addition the study found maternal variance (P < 0.05) for BD, BWH, body thickness and fillet weight explaining ~10% of the observed phenotypic variance. For fillet yield (FY) and body length (BL), no evidence was found for either maternal or dominance variance. For traits exhibiting maternal variance, including this effect in evaluations caused substantial re-ranking of selection candidates, but the impact of including dominance effects was notably less. Breeding schemes may benefit from utilising maternal variance in increasing accuracy of evaluations, reducing bias, and developing new lines, but the utilisation of the dominance variance may require further refinement of parameter estimates.publishedVersio

Working relationships between obstetric care staff and their managers: a critical incident analysis

Background Malawi continues to experience critical shortages of key health technical cadres that can adequately respond to Malawi’s disease burden. Difficult working conditions contribute to low morale and frustration among health care workers. We aimed to understand how obstetric care staff perceive their working relationships with managers. Methods A qualitative exploratory study was conducted in health facilities in Malawi between October and December 2008. Critical Incident Analysis interviews were done in government district hospitals, faith-based health facilities, and a sample of health centres’ providing emergency obstetric care. A total of 84 service providers were interviewed. Data were analyzed using NVivo 8 software. Results Poor leadership styles affected working relationships between obstetric care staff and their managers. Main concerns were managers’ lack of support for staff welfare and staff performance, lack of mentorship for new staff and junior colleagues, as well as inadequate supportive supervision. All this led to frustrations, diminished motivation, lack of interest in their job and withdrawal from work, including staff seriously considering leaving their post. Conclusions Positive working relationships between obstetric care staff and their managers are essential for promoting staff motivation and positive work performance. However, this study revealed that staff were demotivated and undermined by transactional leadership styles and behavior, evidenced by management by exception and lack of feedback or recognition. A shift to transformational leadership in nurse-manager relationships is essential to establish good working relationships with staff. Improved providers’ job satisfaction and staff retentionare crucial to the provision of high quality care and will also ensure efficiency in health care delivery in Malawi

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices about HIV Testing and Counselling Among Adolescent Girls in Some Selected Secondary Schools in Malawi

The major objective of this study was to determine knowledge, attitudes and practices about HIV testing services and the uptake of this service amongst girls aged 15-19 in selected secondary schools in Malawi. A questionnaire was administered to 457 students and 18 focus group discussions and 45 in-depth interviews were conducted. The study found that almost every student knew about HTC but uptake was low as only about a third of the students reported having been tested. The uptake of this service also increased with age. Most of those tested wanted to know their sero-status. Others were tested because it was a requirement. Sixty nine per cent of the girls who did not go for the HIV test was mainly because either they were not sexually active or they felt they were not at risk. During FGDs some students did not test because they feared their parents would think they were sexually promiscuous. This study demonstrates the need for intensive campaigns among adolescent girls and their parents to create awareness about the importance of HIV testing as this is an entry point for all HIV and AIDS services.L&apos;objectif principal de cette étude était de déterminer la connaissance, attitudes et pratiques concernant les services de dépistage du VIH et l&apos;absorption de ce service chez les filles de 15-19 ans dans les écoles secondaires choisies au Malawi. Un questionnaire a été administré à 457 étudiants et 18 groupes de discussion cible et 45 entretiens approfondis ont été menés. L&apos;étude a révélé que presque toutes les étudiantes connaissaient le DCV mais l&apos;absorption est faible puisque seulement environ un tiers des étudiantes ont déclaré avoir déjà subi l’analyse. L&apos;acceptation de ce service a également augmenté avec l&apos;âge. La plupart des personnes qui ont subi l’analyse ont voulu connaître leur état sérologique. D&apos;autres ont subi l’analyse parce que c&apos;était une exigence. Soixante-neuf pour cent des filles n’avaient pas subi l’analyse de dépistage du VIH soit parce qu’elles n&apos;étaient pas sexuellement actives soit parce qu’elles ne se sentaient pas en danger. Pendant les DGC certaines étudiantes n&apos;ont pas n’on pas subi l’analyse parce qu&apos;elles craignaient que leurs parents pensent qu&apos;elles s’engagent dans la promiscuité sexuelle. Cette étude démontre la nécessité de campagnes intensives chez les adolescentes et leurs parents à fin de leur sensibiliser sur l&apos;importance du dépistage du VIH, car c&apos;est un point d&apos;entrée pour tous les services liés au VIH et au sida

Space, Culture and Society in Africa.

15 Papers presented at the Symposium, March 29-30, 1996.Includes bibliographical references

Underreporting of maternal and neonatal complications: A comparison of information in maternity registers and client charts at a rural community hospital in Malawi

Aim: To determine the rate and types of unreported maternal and neonatal complications in a rural community hospital in Malawi. Background: The problem of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality may be underestimated, with underreporting of complications often noted. Reliable data is needed to make key decisions at the local, district, and national level. This study investigated whether there were unreported complications among women receiving intrapartum care at a rural community hospital in Malawi. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted comparing maternity register records to client charts from January-March 2018. Descriptive data analysis using SPSS v20 was performed to calculate percentages and frequencies. Results: 360 client cases were identified, of which 33 cases were excluded from analysis due to missing charts. Of the remaining 327 cases included in the final analysis, only 34% (n = 31) of maternal and 34% (n = 33) of neonatal complications were recorded in both the maternity register and the chart. When the additional complications found in the chart review were included, the rates of maternal and neonatal complications tripled from 9.5% (n = 31) and 10% (n = 33) to 28% (n = 90) and 30% (n = 98), respectively. Conclusions: There was poor record keeping, underreporting of maternal and neonatal complications, and discrepancies between the data recorded in the monthly maternity register and client charts in the first quarter of 2018. The actual rate of complications suggests a need to verify data at the facility level to prevent release and reporting of inaccurate data. Measures are needed to mitigate the gaps in data reporting