Perceptions and Barriers to Exclusive Breastfeeding in Manicaland, Zimbabwe

The study explored perceptions and barriers to exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among rural women in Zimbabwe. A descriptive cross sectional design was used with 490 participants (146 men and 344 women). Questionnaires and Focus Group Discussions were held with women 15-49 years who had a child below 2 years and their male partners. The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding amongst the infants 0 – 6months was 66.8%. Seventy-four and 64.7% of girls and boys respectively were exclusively breastfed. Sixty-three percent of newborns were exclusively breastfed immediately after birth with 32% and 5% of the newborns being initiated within 6 hours and 1 day respectively. Women reported that they were comfortable to exclusively breastfeed for the first 3 months. The top six barriers to EBF were poor support from men(<30%),pressure from in-laws to introduce other foods, scanty knowledge on appropriate infant feeding practices, negative cultural and religious practices and lack of interest in women to exclusively breastfeed. The EBF prevalence was higher amongst young mothers (below 19 years) as compared to older women (20-49 years). EBF practices were lower (58.2%) amongst the more educated women compared to the less educated women (79.2%). The study concluded that community social mobilization should be intensified to increase knowledge and improve perceptions by engaging both men and women and other powerful stakeholders on infant and young child feeding through participatory approaches. Keywords: Exclusive breastfeeding, perceptions, attitudes, knowledg

Malaria Outbreak Investigation in Chipinge, Zimbabwe: A Case-control Study

Background: Malaria outbreaks are common in Zimbabwe. They are common in Manicaland, which has the greatest burden of malaria in the country. Methods: A matched case control study was conducted to investigate the malaria outbreak in ward 13 and 14 of Chipinge district in Manicaland Province in Zimbabwe, week 30 to week 40 of year 2015. A sample size of 92 (46 cases and 46 controls) was used. Guided interviews were conducted with the aid of a structured questionnaire and a checklist. The investigation assessed factors associated with contracting malaria and the community knowledge levels on malaria. Results: Participants who stayed in houses with open eaves had 2.4 odds (95% CI=1.0; 5.6) of contracting malaria compared to those who lived in houses without open eaves. Staying within a radius of 3 km from the river or swamp also predisposed people to contracting malaria (OR =2.7, 95%CI=1.2; 6.3). People who had no insecticide treated mosquito nets hanged in their bed rooms had odds of 2.2 (95%CI=1.2; 6.4) of contracting malaria compared to those that hanged insecticide-treated mosquito nets in their bedrooms. Consequently, among people exposed to outdoor activities in the evening and at night, those that had insecticide-treated mosquito nets hanged in their rooms were more protected from malaria than those that did not. Conclusion: There is high need to intensify all pillars in the malaria prevention and control programs and maintenance of a strong surveillance system to prevent future occurrences of outbreaks

Spatial analysis of aerial survey data reveals correlates of elephant carcasses within a heavily poached ecosystem

Growth of the illegal wildlife trade is a key driver of biodiversity loss, with considerable research focussing on trafficking and trade, but rather less focussed on supply. Elephant poaching for ivory has driven a recent population decline in African elephants and is a typical example of illegal wildlife trade. Some of the heaviest poaching has been in Southern Tanzania's Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem. Using data from three successive aerial surveys and modern spatial analysis techniques we identify the correlates of elephant carcasses within the ecosystem, from which important information about how poachers operate can be gleaned. Carcass density was highest close to wet-season (but not dry season) waterholes, at higher altitudes and at intermediate travel cost from villages. We found no evidence for an ecosystem-wide impact of ranger patrol locations on carcass abundance, but found strong evidence that different ranger posts showed contrasting patterns in relation to carcasses, some being significantly associated with clusters of carcasses, others showing the expected negative correlation and most showing no pattern at all. Despite a spatial change in elephant carcass locations between years, we find little evidence to suggest poachers have changed their behaviour in relation to key modelled covariates. Our maps of poaching activity can feed directly into anti-poaching control measures, but also provide general insights into how illegal harvest of high value wildlife products occurs in the field, and our spatio-temporal analysis provides a valuable analysis framework for aerial survey data from protected areas globally

Exploring drivers and prevention strategies for sexual violence among adolescent girls and young women in Kicukiro, Rwanda

IntroductionSexual violence against adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) is a pervasive issue globally, with particularly high prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa. This study explores the drivers and prevention strategies for sexual violence among AGYW in Kicukiro, Rwanda.MethodsA descriptive exploratory design guided by the socioecological model and feminist standpoint theory was employed. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 AGYW participating in a mentorship program and 5 male community members. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key drivers and potential prevention strategies.ResultsFour themes emerged: (1) empowering mentorship programs, (2) tiered drivers of sexual violence, (3) optimizing violence-mitigating resources, and (4) interference with judicial processes. Key drivers of sexual violence included substance use, transactional sexual relationships, inadequate family protection, entrenched gender stereotypes, and limited legal literacy.ConclusionFindings underscore the need for multifaceted interventions that address systemic and cultural barriers, strengthen legal frameworks, and expand community-based programs. Addressing sexual violence requires a holistic approach, integrating empowerment initiatives, robust community engagement, and legal reforms to create safer environments for AGYW. The mentorship program's success suggests scalability across other settings

Bird tolerance to humans in open tropical ecosystems

AbstractAnimal tolerance towards humans can be a key factor facilitating wildlife–human coexistence, yet traits predicting its direction and magnitude across tropical animals are poorly known. Using 10,249 observations for 842 bird species inhabiting open tropical ecosystems in Africa, South America, and Australia, we find that avian tolerance towards humans was lower (i.e., escape distance was longer) in rural rather than urban populations and in populations exposed to lower human disturbance (measured as human footprint index). In addition, larger species and species with larger clutches and enhanced flight ability are less tolerant to human approaches and escape distances increase when birds were approached during the wet season compared to the dry season and from longer starting distances. Identification of key factors affecting animal tolerance towards humans across large spatial and taxonomic scales may help us to better understand and predict the patterns of species distributions in the Anthropocene.</jats:p

Psychosocial readiness of eligible women for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV programme: a scoping review protocol.

This is a proposal for a scoping review on psychosocial readiness among women in the PMTCT programme. The protocol is attached

Modelling of the Response of Sable Antelope (Hippotragus Niger Niger) to Trophy Hunting: A GIS and Remote Sensing Approach

The main objective of this study was to test the impact of hunting on sable (Hippotragus niger niger) habitat selection using a combination of satellite remotely sensed data and GIS based spatial analysis. Firstly, we used remotely sensed vegetation cover estimated by the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) to test whether hunted sables selected more closed woodland habitats, i.e., an uncharacteristic habitat for sable, while those not exposed to hunting selected more open woodland habitats, i.e., characteristic habitat for sable. Secondly, we tested whether terrain based visibility modelled from remotely sensed data explains sable Flight Initiation Distance (FID), an indicator of fearfulness in hunted animal species, better than vegetation based visibility measured in the field. We tested these hypotheses in a study area consisting of one hunting area and one non-hunting area of northwestern Zimbabwe. Our results show that hunted sables significantly (P < 0.05) selected more closed woodland than those not exposed to hunting. Our results also show that remotely sensed Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer Digital Elevation Model (ASTER DEM) derived visibility could explain FID of sable better than field measured vegetation based visibility. Results of this thesis open new ground in spatial ecological understanding of wildlife species such as the threatened sable antelope

Modelling of the response of sable antelope (Hippotragus niger niger) to trophy hunting: A GIS and remote sensing approach

RP-PCP grant/Project ECO#3,The main objective of this study was to test the impact of hunting on sable (Hippotragus niger niger) habitat selection using a combination of satellite remotely sensed data and GIS based spatial analysis. Firstly, we used remotely sensed vegetation cover estimated by the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) to test whether hunted sables selected more closed woodland habitats, i.e., an uncharacteristic habitat for sable, while those not exposed to hunting selected more open woodland habitats, i.e., characteristic habitat for sable. Secondly, we tested whether terrain based visibility modelled from remotely sensed data explains sable Flight Initiation Distance (FID), an indicator of fearfulness in hunted animal species, better than vegetation based visibility measured in the field. We tested these hypotheses in a study area consisting of one hunting area and one non-hunting area of northwestern Zimbabwe. Our results show that hunted sables significantly (P < 0.05) selected more closed woodland than those not exposed to hunting. Our results also show that remotely sensed Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer Digital Elevation Model (ASTER DEM) derived visibility could explain FID of sable better than field measured vegetation based visibility. Results of this thesis open new ground in spatial ecological understanding of wildlife species such as the threatened sable antelope,Ministère Français des Affaires Etrangères through the French Embassy in Zimbabwe (RP-PCP grant/Project ECO#3