Participatory involvement of farming communities and public sectors in determining malaria control strategies in Mvomero District, Tanzania

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Role of information and communication networks in malaria survival

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Quite often symptoms of malaria go unrecognized or untreated. According to the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria, 70% of the malaria cases that are treated at home are mismanaged. Up to 82% of all malaria episodes in sub-Saharan Africa are treated outside the formal health sector. Fast and appropriate diagnosis and treatment of malaria is extremely important in reducing morbidity and mortality.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Data from 70 different countries is pooled together to construct a panel dataset of health and socio-economic variables for a time span of (1960–2004). The generalized two-stage least squares and panel data models are used to investigate the impact of information and communication network (ICN) variables on malaria death probability. The intensity of ICN is represented by the number of telephone main lines per 1,000 people and the number of television sets per 1,000 people.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The major finding is that the intensity of ICN is associated with reduced probability of deaths of people that are clinically identified as malaria infected. The results are robust for both indicators i.e. interpersonal and mass communication networks and for all model specifications examined.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results suggest that information and communication networks can substantially scale up the effectiveness of the existing resources for malaria prevention. Resources spent in preventing malaria are far less than needed. Expanded information and communication networks will widen the avenues for community based "participatory development", that encourages the use of local information, knowledge and decision making. Timely information, immediate care and collective knowledge based treatment can be extremely important in reducing child mortality and achieving the millennium development goal.</p

Informal Urban Settlements and Cholera Risk in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

In 2008, for the first time in human history, more than half of the world's population was living in urban areas, and this proportion is expected to increase. As a result of poor economic opportunities and an increasing shortage of affordable housing, much of the spatial growth in many of the world's fastest growing cities is a result of the expansion of informal settlements where residents live without security of tenure and with limited access to basic infrastructure. Although inadequate water and sanitation facilities, crowding, and other poor living conditions can have a significant impact on the spread of infectious diseases, analyses relating these diseases to ongoing global urbanization, especially at the neighborhood and household level in informal settlements, have been infrequent. To begin to address this deficiency, we analyzed urban environmental data and the burden of cholera in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We found that cholera incidence was most closely associated with informal housing, population density, and the income level of informal residents. Our analysis suggests that the current growth of many cities in developing countries and expansion of informal settlements will be associated with increased risks to human health, including cholera and other infectious diseases, and underscores the importance of urban planning, resource allocation, and infrastructure placement and management, as the rapidly progressive trend of global urbanization proceeds

Cross-Location Analysis of the Impact of Household Socioeconomic Status on Participation in Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in West Africa

This study explores the relation between household socioeconomic status (SES) and participation in urban and periurban agriculture (UPA) in three West African cities. We used a structured questionnaire to survey 700 randomly selected households: 250 in Kano, Nigeria, 250 in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, and 200 in Sikasso, Mali. Multiple correspondence analysis was applied on household asset variables to create an index of assets which was used as a proxy for household SES. The results showed no significant differences in households’ rate of participation in UPA across socioeconomic groups. Participation in UPA was rather significantly (P < 0.001) and positively related to household size. Interestingly, the analysis revealed that field crop cultivation and gardening were more common among households in the low and medium SES groups while those in the high SES group were more likely to keep livestock

Family Status and Students’ Academic Achievement in Agricultural Sciences

Agriculture is vital for economic development and food self-sufficiency, poverty alleviation and environmental protection. To achieve this, effective agricultural educational training is required, especially in agricultural science subjects for preparing individuals to take agriculture as a profession. However, students’ academic achievement in agricultural sciences in Nigeria is low. This study investigated the relationship between family status and students’ academic achievements in agricultural science subject. To achieve this goal, students from Katsina State Science and Technical Education Board (STEB) were purposively selected for the study.Random sampling technique was used to select 300 students from six secondary schools. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire and checklists. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics to yield frequencies, percentages and cross tabulations. The Study results showed that majority of parentswere literate and civil servants. Similarly, majority of parents had migrated to urban areas for white collar jobs. Parents’ education and occupation, family type, dependency ratio, and family feeding significantly correlated with students’ academic achievement in agricultural science. However, family health care and family size were independent of students’ academic achievement. It is recommended that Katsina State using its state education offices should initiate collaborations with non-governmental organizations and educate parents on the importance of their roles to improve academic achievement of their children

Delivery of agricultural extension service can be improved through mobile phones

EPINAV Policy Brief No. 02/2016EPINAV - SU

Delivery of agricultural extension service can be improved through mobile phones

EPINAV Policy Brief No. 02/2016EPINAV - SU

Urban agriculture and dietary diversity: empirical evidence from Tanzania

The recent increases in food prices have been dramatic. In Tanzania, average prices for key food items climbed at least 50 per cent between 2007 and 2009; rising prices had a significant effect on Tanzania’s growing group of urban poor as their food budget share amounts to 67 per cent. This article studies the effects of practicing agriculture in urban Tanzania on indicators of dietary diversity, quantifying the share of urban dwellers engaged in urban agriculture and assessing the importance of urban agriculture in ensuring food diversity. Results suggest that households engaged in urban agriculture have a more diversified diet: they increase the variety of (i) meat, fish and eggs by 10 per cent, (ii) dairy products by at least 16 per cent and (iii) fruits and vegetables by up to 9 per cent. The urban poor is the group that profits most from the dietary diversification relative to richer households