Survey and Service on STD/HIV/AIDS in Namungo Mines,Lindi Region

Namungo is small-scale mining in Ruangwa district, Lindi Region, with deposits of green gemstone (tsavorite). About 400 men and women are living in temporary settlements. In August 2001, an STD/HIV/AIDS workplace intervention started which comprised of: A baseline KAP study with villagers and miners, A survey on infection rates with Syphilis and HIV, Treatment of patients with STD, An educational campaign and Development of plans for continuos collaboration between the mine and the health system. The KAP-study showed that 81% of respondents knew that sexual intercourse/sex without a condom is the main mode of HIV transmission. 80% correctly started that a person infected with HIV can remain a symptomatic for a long period. Half of them responded to had paid sex with more than one partner during the last 12 mouth. Those reporting having used a condom in the past 3 month were 48%. 92% of the respondents reported willingness for Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) to know their HIV status. From 429 people who had came with symptoms of STDs most were treated for discharge syndrome (40% males,24 females) and for genital ulcers (38% in males and females) Testing and counseling for syphilis and HIV was offered to STD clients and volunteers. Infection rates were high in both groups, STD patients and volunteers with 18% for syphilis and 17% for HIV. The highest prevalence with 38% was found in women 30-34 years of age. The high infection rates, risky behavior and a high mobility of the people involved are a challenge to claim holders, health authorities and communities in the vicinity. Regular interventions urgently needed

Fairtrade Coffee A study to assess the impact of Fairtrade for coffee smallholders and producer organisations in Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, and Tanzania

This report presents the findings of a major evaluation commissioned by Fairtrade International. This evaluation aims to assess the impact of Fairtrade for coffee smallholders and their organisations to contribute to the evidence base on Fairtrade’s impact to date and to inform Fairtrade on the potential to improve its impact in the future. Millions of smallholder farmer households around the world rely upon coffee for their livelihoods, and the challenges they face are numerous and growing. Fairtrade supports around 812,500 coffee-producing smallholder farmers in 445 producer organisations in 30 countries. In 2013-14 Fairtrade coffee producers reported selling 150,800 MT of coffee on Fairtrade terms. Producer organisations (POs) in four countries, Peru, Mexico, Tanzania, and Indonesia, were selected as cases by the research team to capture the range and depth of the Fairtrade experience. The evaluation covered two Fairtrade producer organisations in each country. Counterfactual comparisons are included in each case – either with a comparison producer organisation or with individual independent farmers cultivating coffee in the same area, but who are not part of Fairtrade certification. The evaluation used the recently developed and published ‘Fairtrade International Theory of Change’ to examine Fairtrade impact. Data was collected along the impact chain to understand how far Fairtrade’s interventions have led to intended outputs and impacts, and to identify other influencing factors. The team developed a research protocol to support comparisons between countries, and used mixed methods to carry out the research

Using detergent to enhance detection sensitivity of African trypanosomes in human CSF and blood by Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP)

<p><b>Background:</b> The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay, with its advantages of simplicity, rapidity and cost effectiveness, has evolved as one of the most sensitive and specific methods for the detection of a broad range of pathogenic microorganisms including African trypanosomes. While many LAMP-based assays are sufficiently sensitive to detect DNA well below the amount present in a single parasite, the detection limit of the assay is restricted by the number of parasites present in the volume of sample assayed; i.e. 1 per µL or 103 per mL. We hypothesized that clinical sensitivities that mimic analytical limits based on parasite DNA could be approached or even obtained by simply adding detergent to the samples prior to LAMP assay.</p> <p><b>Methodology/Principal Findings:</b> For proof of principle we used two different LAMP assays capable of detecting 0.1 fg genomic DNA (0.001 parasite). The assay was tested on dilution series of intact bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or blood with or without the addition of the detergent Triton X-100 and 60 min incubation at ambient temperature. With human CSF and in the absence of detergent, the LAMP detection limit for live intact parasites using 1 µL of CSF as the source of template was at best 103 parasites/mL. Remarkably, detergent enhanced LAMP assay reaches sensitivity about 100 to 1000-fold lower; i.e. 10 to 1 parasite/mL. Similar detergent-mediated increases in LAMP assay analytical sensitivity were also found using DNA extracted from filter paper cards containing blood pretreated with detergent before card spotting or blood samples spotted on detergent pretreated cards.</p> <p><b>Conclusions/Significance:</b> This simple procedure for the enhanced detection of live African trypanosomes in biological fluids by LAMP paves the way for the adaptation of LAMP for the economical and sensitive diagnosis of other protozoan parasites and microorganisms that cause diseases that plague the developing world.</p&gt

Congenital anomalies in low- and middle-income countries: the unborn child of global surgery.

Surgically correctable congenital anomalies cause a substantial burden of global morbidity and mortality. These anomalies disproportionately affect children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to sociocultural, economic, and structural factors that limit the accessibility and quality of pediatric surgery. While data from LMICs are sparse, available evidence suggests that the true human and financial cost of congenital anomalies is grossly underestimated and that pediatric surgery is a cost-effective intervention with the potential to avert significant premature mortality and lifelong disability

Challenges and coping strategies of employed mothers in a social security scheme in Tanzania

This article explores the challenges facing working mothers, both at work and home, and their coping strategies. The study involved in-depth interviews with 25 working mothers, and 11 male and female administrative staff in a social security scheme, the PPF Pensions Funds, in Ilala municipality, Dar es Salaam region, Tanzania. Working mothers face individual, societal, and organizational challenges at work. These include the lack of confidence due to insecurity, mistrust between working mothers and other staff members, gender and cultural stereotypes, unwanted family planning, discrimination and disregard, administration problems, and sexual harassment. At home, working mothers encounter social and economic challenges, including limited time to engage in family and social issues, managing family and work roles, and creating additional income. Mechanisms for coping with these challenges include building confidence; developing hardworking spirit; reporting sexual harassment; following work rules, regulations, and instructions; use of family planning; planning activities well; assistance by husbands and relatives; hiring domestic workers; and sending children to boarding schools. The study is informed by the work-family border theory to establish different challenges that contradict expected equilibrium between work and family responsibilities experienced by working mothers. Moreover, the agency theory assisted to explain strategies employed by working mothers to cope with their situations. Keywords: working mothers, work-family conflict, challenges, coping, agency, Tanzani

Comparative Study of Bachelor of Civil Engineering Curricula in Higher Learning Institutions in Tanzania: A Systematic Review

This paper compares the curricula of Bachelor degree in the field of civil engineering. This helps improving the quality of curriculum that generates demand driven engineering graduates with an equal competency in the context of labour market. Descriptive survey was adopted, and a checklist of courses from purposively selected higher learning institutions was used. Constant comparative analysis to categorize types of information investigated was adopted. Findings indicate that Bachelor degree programme in civil engineering at Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT), Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST) and St. Joseph College of Engineering and Technology (SJCET) has duration of 3 or 4 years depending on the entry qualification of the student, whereas at Arusha Technical College (ATC) it takes 3 years to complete the programme. On the other hand, inconsistency on the number of courses and academic loads offered in these institutions was revealed. The study suggests a joint development of curricula for training programmes. This could help trainers, researchers, curricula developers and policy makers to harmonize and minimize discrepancies of the curricula contents of the same programme offered in different institutions. Keywords: curricula, engineers, bachelor degree, civil engineering, institutions, Tanzania DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-29-05 Publication date:October 31st 202

Globalization and African Cinema: Distribution and Reception in the Anglophone Region

Globalization is the all-pervasive constituent of contemporary living, especially where it is underwritten by colonial histories. Keyan Tomaselli argues that European interpretive frameworks have determined readings of African texts.1 Globalization needs to be understood through the discourse of capital, to understand how entire societies have become affected economically and socially by the dynamics of diversity in this new international division of labor.2 Globalization is the narrative of socialization that also helps us to locate the local within the global

The role of new communication technologies and distance education in responding to the global crisis in teacher supply and training: an analysis of the research and development experience

This paper explores the major problem facing all societies to attract, retain and train teachers, particularly where school systems are expanding rapidly. The characteristics of the 'teacher crisis' will be examined by reference to global evidence, giving particular attention to key locations in Africa and Asia. This context then provides the framework for analysing a range of research and development programmes that seek to harness new communication technologies and distance education to meet the scale of the challenge posed