Challenges Smallholder Farmers Face in Extracting Value from Agricultural Information

Agricultural information can enhance smallholder farmers’ knowledge and decision-making ability, where the ubiquity of ICTs has resulted in an exponential increase of ICT based agricultural information services. However, there is still poor utilization of agricultural information. This study examines challenges that impede smallholder farmers from deriving value from agricultural information despite availability of information services. A mixed-method research approach was employed to gather data from 200 farmers using semi-structured interviews, Likert scale surveys and five focus group discussions. The findings indicate that the challenges faced include low education levels, poor quality information, poorly designed information channels, and high cost of information access. Suggested strategies include training, improving design of information channels, stakeholder collaboration, translating information into local languages and interventions in accelerating use of ICTs. This study will be significant in implementation of impactful information dissemination initiatives. Subsequent research should be focused on investigating the effectiveness of the suggested strategies

Corporate Strategy and Firm performance: Case for the Multinational Banks in Sub Saharan Africa

Various studies have empirically examined the effect of corporate strategy on firm performance but not to the level of this paper s methodological scope regarding time geographic and variable constructs For external validity of research findings this paper uses a more modern estimation procedure-the system Generalized Method of Moments GMM on a panel data 2007-2017 for the multinational banks in sub-Saharan Africa Relevant corporate strategy constructs for firms with multinational operations are adopted These are diversification debt and equity financing which are examined in relation to firm s performance as measured by return on assets ROA One provoking question motivating this inquiry is Does it profit a firm to have operations in many countries when financing is by debt and or equity Such corporate strategies are expected to have positive returns Findings however show that unlike debt financing strategy geographical diversification and equity financing positively affect the banks ROA Therefore investors and corporate manager should design their strategic plans from which the best strategies for implementation can be selected Particularly corporate decisions on questions about the bank s where to go and the source of funds for investment should keenly be addressed during strategic plannin

Afro-Pessimism Reconsidered: An Analysis of International Non-Governmental Organisations Communications in East Africa

Over the past thirty years, International Non-Governmental Organisations communication (INGO Communication) has been the subject of contentious debate as regards three major issues. First, its simplistic but emotive narratives and imagery of beneficiaries and the implications of this on their dignity. Secondly, INGO communication’s rapidly growing influence on the media, with particular concern being raised about the blurring of lines between INGO media activism or advocacy and journalistic independence. Third, the collective responsibility that INGOs have for the media image of the Global South, most notably in Africa, where most countries are still dependent on Western aid for a significant portion of their national budget financing, infrastructure and service delivery. Media and development researchers have severally argued that INGOs’ communication practices contribute to an essentialisation of the continent, also known as Afro-pessimism. Most, however, have tended to conceptualise INGOs as homogenous global entities and study their interaction with the media from the position of journalism studies rather than that of the INGOs themselves. Using participant observation, interviews and my professional experience, this research seeks to achieve three objectives. First, to provide better understanding of INGOs’ global governance and management structure. This allows for a more nuanced understanding of their communication processes and practices especially from the perspective of employees based in the Global South who are the primary sources of INGOs’ visual images and narratives on Africa. Secondly, I draw attention to the unique ways in which INGOs interchangeably employ journalistic values and promotional styles to their communication efforts in order to achieve their advocacy and promotional goals. This approach makes it possible to go beyond the binary judgement of INGO communication to instead understand how and why these organisations communicate the way they do. Lastly, I demonstrate the ways in which INGO employees based in East Africa justify or attempt to challenge Afro-Pessimism in INGO communications and explain why this matters. Because these communications workers are frontline narrators of the development project, I argue that what they do and how they do it are key components of INGO communication that require serious scholarly attention

Critical linkages between livestock production, livestock trade and potential spread of human African trypanosomiasis in Uganda:Bioeconomic herd modeling and livestock trade analysis

Background: Tsetse-transmitted human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) remains endemic in Uganda. The chronic form caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (gHAT) is found in north-western Uganda, whereas the acute zoonotic form of the disease, caused by T. b. brucei rhodesiense (rHAT), occurs in the eastern region. Cattle is the major reservoir of rHAT in Uganda. These two forms of HAT are likely to converge resulting in a public health disaster. This study examines the intricate and intrinsic links between cattle herd dynamics, livestock trade and potential risk of spread of rHAT northwards. Methods: A bio-economic cattle herd model was developed to simulate herd dynamics at the farm level. Semi-structured interviews (n = 310), focus group discussions (n = 9) and key informant interviews (n = 9) were used to evaluate livestock markets (n = 9) as part of the cattle supply chain analysis. The cattle market data was used for stochastic risk analysis. Results: Cattle trade in eastern and northern Uganda is dominated by sale of draft and adult male cattle as well as exportation of young male cattle. The study found that the need to import draft cattle at the farm level was to cover deficits because of the herd structure, which is mostly geared towards animal traction. The importation and exportation of draft cattle and disposal of old adult male cattle formed the major basis of livestock movement and could result in the spread of rHAT northwards. The risk of rHAT infected cattle being introduced to northern Uganda from the eastern region via cattle trade was found to be high (i.e. probability of 1). Conclusion: Through deterministic and stochastic modelling of cattle herd and cattle trade dynamics, this study identifies critical links between livestock production and trade as well as potential risk of rHAT spread in eastern and northern Uganda. The findings highlight the need for targeted and routine surveillance and control of zoonotic diseases such as rHAT

A scoping review of foot-and-mouth disease risk, based on spatial and spatio-temporal analysis of outbreaks in endemic settings

International audienc

Trends and level of control of hypertension among adults attending an ambulatory HIV clinic in Kampala, Uganda: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: With an ageing HIV-positive population, sub-Saharan Africa is now facing a dual epidemic of communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study aimed to assess trends in the prevalence of hypertension and factors associated with hypertension, among adults attending an ambulatory HIV clinic in Kampala, Uganda. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review to identify patients with hypertension. We used a random number generator to select 400 patient charts from each year from 2009 to 2014. Blood pressure, age, body mass index (BMI), WHO disease stage and Karnofsky scores were extracted. Logistic regression was used to estimate the strength of the association between each of these factors and the presence of hypertension. RESULTS: In total, 1996 charts were included in this analysis. The mean age of participants was 31 years and 1311/1996 (65.7%) were female. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 418/1996 (20.9%). This rose from 16.9% in 2009 to 32.3% in 2013. Of the patients with hypertension, 96/418 (23.0%) were receiving adequate treatment. Patients >50 years of age had 3.12 times the odds of hypertension compared with patients aged 20-29 years (95% CI 2.00 to 4.85). Men had 1.65 times the odds of hypertension compared with women (95% CI 1.34 to 2.03) and patients with a BMI of 35-39 kg/m2 had 3.93 times the odds of hypertension compared with patients with a BMI <25 kg/m2. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hypertension is rising in the Ugandan HIV-positive population. There remains inadequate management and control of hypertension in this group highlighting the need to better integrate NCD care within the HIV clinical settings

The effect of warning signs on the presence of snare traps in a Ugandan rainforest

BCFS receives core funding from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. The Budongo Snare Removal Project is funded by Oakland Zoo. PF was funded by the European Research Council project grant to CC (grant agreement number: 679787). DPD was funded by the National Science Centre (grant number: 2020/04/X/NZ8/00865).Since chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) conservation often involves local human populations, conservation strategies must consider psychological factors that impact their behavior. In Budongo Forest, Uganda, for example, local communities commonly engage in snare trap (hereafter: snare) setting for wild meat. This illegal activity posits a substantial threat to wild chimpanzees, causing permanent wounds or death for those who are snared. Despite various schemes previously implemented to address snare setting?an activity that is fueled by poverty, the problem and its detrimental impact on chimpanzees persists. Here, we experimentally tested a novel intervention, a systematic display of specially designed warning signs aimed at local poachers. We monitored the presence of snares before and after introducing these signs over a total period of two years and compared it with that of a similar sized control area with no intervention. Results show that snares were less likely to be present during the ?sign? period than during the ?non-sign? period in the experimental but not in the control area. We discuss the potential of this cost-effective intervention for limiting illegal activities that pose a severe threat to chimpanzees and other species inhabiting tropical forests.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Spatio-temporal cluster analysis and transmission drivers for Peste des Petits Ruminants in Uganda.

Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a transboundary, highly contagious, and fatal disease of small ruminants. PPR causes global annual economic losses of between USD 1.5-2.0 billion across more than 70 affected countries. Despite the commercial availability of effective PPR vaccines, lack of financial and technical commitment to PPR control coupled with a dearth of refined PPR risk profiling data in different endemic countries has perpetuated PPR virus transmission. In Uganda, over the past five years, PPR has extended from north-eastern Uganda (Karamoja) with sporadic incursions in other districts /regions. To identify disease cluster hotspot trends that would facilitate the design and implementation of PPR risk-based control methods (including vaccination), we employed the space-time cube approach to identify trends in the clustering of outbreaks in neighbouring space-time cells using confirmed PPR outbreak report data (2007-2020). We also used negative binomial and logistic regression models and identified high small ruminant density, extended road length, low annual precipitation and high soil water index as the most important drivers of PPR in Uganda. The study identified (with 90 - 99% confidence) five PPR disease hotspot trend categories across subregions of Uganda. Diminishing hotspots were identified in the Karamoja region whereas consecutive, sporadic, new, and emerging hotspots were identified in central and southwestern districts of Uganda. Inter-district and cross-border small ruminant movement facilitated by longer road stretches and animal comingling precipitate PPR outbreaks as well as PPR virus spread from its initial Karamoja focus to the central and south-western Uganda. There is therefore urgent need to prioritize considerable vaccination coverage to obtain the required herd immunity among small ruminants in the new hotspot areas to block transmission to further emerging hotspots. Findings of this study provide a basis for more robust timing and prioritization of control measures including vaccination. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Information and communications technology use among young female sex workers participating in a randomised human immunodeficiency virus prevention trial in Kampala, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to determine the level and feasibility of use of information and communication technology (ICT) and social media for research and service delivery among young female sex workers (YFSWs) in Kampala, Uganda. METHODS: We analysed baseline data from 234 YFSWs in Kampala ages 15-24 y participating in a randomized controlled trial testing a cognitive behavioural human immunodeficiency virus prevention intervention. RESULTS: Mobile phone ownership (68.3%) and short message service use (64.9%) were moderate and significantly lower in the 15- to 19-y age group. Computer use experience and internet access were low. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that the feasibility of ICT and social media-driven interventions among YFSWs is limited

Spatio-temporal cluster analysis and transmission drivers for Peste des Petits Ruminants in Uganda

Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a transboundary, highly contagious, and fatal disease of small ruminants. PPR causes global annual economic losses of between USD 1.5 and 2.0 billion across more than 70 affected countries. Despite the commercial availability of effective PPR vaccines, lack of financial and technical commitment to PPR control coupled with a dearth of refined PPR risk profiling data in different endemic countries has perpetuated PPR virus transmission. In Uganda, over the past 5 years, PPR has extended from northeastern Uganda (Karamoja) with sporadic incursions in other districts /regions. To identify disease cluster hotspot trends that would facilitate the design and implementation of PPR risk-based control methods (including vaccination), we employed the space–time cube approach to identify trends in the clustering of outbreaks in neighbouring space–time cells using confirmed PPR outbreak report data (2007–2020). We also used negative binomial and logistic regression models and identified high small ruminant density, extended road length, low annual precipitation and high soil water index as the most important drivers of PPR in Uganda. The study identified (with 90–99% confidence) five PPR disease hotspot trend categories across subregions of Uganda. Diminishing hotspots were identified in the Karamoja region whereas consecutive, sporadic, new and emerging hotspots were identified in central and southwestern districts of Uganda. Inter-district and cross-border small ruminant movement facilitated by longer road stretches and animal comingling precipitate PPR outbreaks as well as PPR virus spread from its initial Karamoja focus to the central and southwestern Uganda. There is therefore urgent need to prioritize considerable vaccination coverage to obtain the required herd immunity among small ruminants in the new hotspot areas to block transmission to further emerging hotspots. Findings of this study provide a basis for more robust timing and prioritization of control measures including vaccination