How community initiatives are making a difference in goat farmers’ lives in Central Mozambique

In risk prone farming areas like Marara District, goats are a profitable and resilient source of income. A goat restocking and pass-on approach – providing goats to extremely poor farmers who would then pass on the goats’ first offspring to other farmers – was developed, thus enabling the farmers to participate in local development pathways via goat farming. Benefits were identified at different levels of participation. Selling goats enables smallholder farmers with the means to pay for food, education, human health and farm labor, enabling them to transition to a better livelihood. For communities, an activity such as restocking strengthens their capacity to respond to threats (drought, theft) by building a common knowledge base and developing assets. Stakeholder networks bring goat market partners closer for cost-effective collection and sale/purchase of goat

Nudging sustainability transitions in Central Mozambique

An Agricultural Innovation Platform (AIP) facilitates and accelerates transition of farmers from subsistence farming to socially inclusive, environmentally sound and market-oriented farming. AIPs adapt interventions around interlinked levers in the food value chains, with entry points based on a good understanding of farming systems and input/output market requirements. Learning activities around these entry points strengthen stakeholder networks. Capacitating farmers through stakeholder networks, using mutual learning and additional technical training sessions, improves their self-organization and helps them become entrepreneurs, with the private sector as business mentors and government and extension as facilitators and support. Prospects for change in complex farming systems often appear few and uncertain, leaving farmers feeling helpless in the face of challenges. AIPs demonstrate that small interventions around significant leverage points will have far-reaching benefits. With time, stakeholders facilitate multiple changes through AIPs, magnifying the impact and paving the way for initiatives beyond a project’s lifespan. The ‘AIP experience’ changes their self-perception, resilience, motivation and empowerment forever

Goat restocking and pass on as a critical entry point to help vulnerable farmers

In risk prone farming areas like Marara District, goats are a profitable and resilient source of income. A goat restocking and pass-on approach – providing goats to extremely poor farmers who would then pass on the goats’ first offspring to other farmers – was developed, thus enabling the farmers to participate in local development pathways via goat farming. Benefits were identified at different levels of participation. Selling goats enables smallholder farmers with the means to pay for food, education, human health and farm labor, enabling them to transition to a better livelihood. For communities, an activity such as restocking strengthens their capacity to respond to threats (drought, theft) by building a common knowledge base and developing assets. Stakeholder networks bring goat market partners closer for cost-effective collection and sale/purchase of goats

Using flock simulations for modern goat market systems in Central Mozambique

In marginal and high-risk farming areas like Marara District in Central Mozambique, goats are a quick investment pathway for smallholder farmers and can enhance the benefits from agriculture. The current goat value chain involving sales at the feira (informal goat sales venues), with unscrupulous intermediaries, does not enhance the development of smallholder farmers. Those with small flocks cannot participate in goat markets while those with large flocks are not motivated to use their flocks more productively. As a result, the entire community operates below potential. Goat farmers and buyers are far apart, both geographically and in terms of understanding and co-operation. Enhancing communities’ capacity to organize and manage decentralized goat markets can benefit smallholder farmers immensely. Volumes and quality of goat sales can be increased by addressing the needs and interests of owners of larger and smaller flocks alike within the same community. A community-based goat market system builds social responsibility and helps communities to manage risk. The private sector has also expressed an interest to invest for enhancing communities’ technical capacity..

Nudging sustainability transitions in Central Mozambique

An Agricultural Innovation Platform (AIP) facilitates and accelerates transition of farmers from subsistence farming to socially inclusive, environmentally sound and market-oriented farming. AIPs adapt interventions around interlinked levers in the food value chains, with entry points based on a good understanding of farming systems and input/output market requirements. Learning activities around these entry points strengthen stakeholder networks. Capacitating farmers through stakeholder networks, using mutual learning and additional technical training sessions, improves their self-organization and helps them become entrepreneurs, with the private sector as business mentors and government and extension as facilitators and support. Prospects for change in complex farming systems often appear few and uncertain, leaving farmers feeling helpless in the face of challenges. AIPs demonstrate that small interventions around significant leverage points will have far-reaching benefits. With time, stakeholders facilitate multiple changes through AIPs, magnifying the impact and paving the way for initiatives beyond a project’s lifespan. The ‘AIP experience’ changes their self-perception, resilience, motivation and empowerment forever

Towards resilient and profitable farming systems in Central Mozambique using an open innovation platform approach

Farmers in Central Mozambique do not benefit adequately from growing markets for crops and livestock. Ecological, economic and social barriers are intertwined: • Absence of functional markets restricting farmers from investing in agriculture; • Lack of incentives to improve agricultural practices resulting in unavailability of biomass limiting surplus; • Lack of motivation to engage in social organization; As a consequence, farmers lose the ability to respond to market opportunities and to adapt to different forms of shocks that threaten their livelihoods. Innovation platforms (IPs) help to address some of the barriers and underlying dynamics, but do not tackle the root causes impeding transition from subsistence to sustainable, market-oriented farming..

Levels of knowledge regarding malaria causes, symptoms, and prevention measures among Malawian women of reproductive age

Background: Malawi is a malaria-endemic country and approximately 6 million cases are reported annually. Improving knowledge of malaria causes and symptoms, and the overall perception towards malaria and its preventive measures is vital for malaria control. The current study investigated the levels of knowledge of the causes, symptoms and prevention of malaria among Malawian women. Methods: Data from the 2017 wave of the Malawi Malaria Indicator Survey (MMIS) were analysed. In total, 3422 women of reproductive age (15–49 years) were sampled and analysed. The levels of women’s knowledge about: (1) causes of malaria; (2) symptoms of malaria; and, (3) preventive measures were assessed. The tertiles of the composite score were used as the cut-offs to categorize the levels of knowledge as ‘low’, ‘medium’ and ‘high’. Multinomial logistic regression models were constructed to assess the independent factors while taking into account the complex survey design. Results: Approximately 50% of all respondents had high levels of knowledge of causes, symptoms and preventive measures. The high level of knowledge was 45% for rural women and 55% for urban dwellers. After adjusting for the a wide range of factors, women of age group 15–19 years adjusted odds ratio ((aOR): 2.58; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.69–3.92), women with no formal education (aOR: 3.73; 95% CI 2.20–6.33), women whose household had no television (aOR: 1.50; 95% CI 1.02–2.22), women who had not seen/heard malaria message (aOR: 1.53; 95% CI 1.20–1.95), women of Yao tribe (aOR: 1.95; 95% CI 1.10–3.46), and women from rural areas had low levels of knowledge about the causes of malaria, symptoms of malaria and preventive measures. Additionally, the results also showed that women aged 15–19 years (beta [β] = − 0.73, standard error [SE] = 0.12); P < .0001, women with no formal education (β = − 1.17, SE = 0.15); P < .0001, women whose household had no radio (β = − 0.15, SE = 0.0816); P = 0.0715 and women who had not seen or heard malaria message (β = − 0.41, SE = 0.07); P < .0001 were likely to have a lower knowledge score. Conclusions: The levels of malaria knowledge were reported to be unsatisfactory among adult women, underscoring the need to scale up efforts on malaria education. Beside insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) and prompt diagnosis, malaria can be best managed in Malawi by increasing knowledge of malaria causes, and symptoms especially for younger women, women with no formal education, women whose households have no media, women from Yao tribes, and rural dwellers

Sustainability transitions for smallholder farmers: How can government, research and development programs support profitable goat markets in Tete?

For Mozambique the goat sector provides huge opportunities for reducing rural poverty levels, improving food security and contributing to the national economy. Mozambique has a huge demand for goat meat and products. Large and medium size buyers fail to source enough goats of the right quality and supply consistently to feed the growing demand in urban markets. Despite its potential, the goat sector is not fully developed. Improved goat production can provide an additional annual income of US$50 million at the national level. In the short term farmers can double their income from goats. Though farmers realize the critical role of goats as source of saving and possible source of investment, they do not invest much in goats and are not able to make an adequate profit from selling their goats. Mortality rates of around 15%, poor quality of goats being sold to markets, and livestock theft are losses to entire rural economies. There are many causes for the low productivity, the primary reasons being: a) Lack of a market structure through which farmers and the private sector can interact; b) Absence of a grading system that rewards farmers for their investments in quality production; and c) Livestock theft that destroys community trust, and eventually hampers collective action among farmers..

Determinants of self-reported correct knowledge about tuberculosis transmission among men and women in Malawi: evidence from a nationwide household survey

Abstract: Background: Correct knowledge about transmission of tuberculosis (TB) can influence better health-seeking behaviors, and in turn, it can aid TB prevention in society. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the prevalence and predictors of self-reported correct knowledge about TB transmission among adults in Malawi. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of the data obtained from the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey, 2015/16 (MDHS 2015/16). Questions regarding self-reported TB transmission were computed to evaluate the correct knowledge about TB transmission. The factors associated with the correct knowledge about Tb were assessed using univariate and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Overall, the prevalence of correct knowledge about TB transmission in the general population of Malawian adults was 61.5%. Specifically, the prevalence of correct knowledge about TB transmission was 63.6 and 60.8% in men and women, respectively. Those aged 35–44 years, having secondary or high education, belonging to the richest household, being exposed to mass media, being in professional/technical/managerial, having knowledge that “TB can be cured”, and those living in urban areas were significantly associated with correct knowledge about TB transmission. Conclusions: The findings of this study show that if appropriate strategies for TB communication and education to address the rural masses, young individuals, poor individuals, and individuals in the agriculture sector are put it place, can enhance TB prevention in Malawi

Determinants of pentavalent and measles vaccination dropouts among children aged 12–23 months in The Gambia

Abstract: Background: Every year, vaccination averts about 3 million deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). However, despite that immunization coverage is increasing globally, many children in developing countries are still dropping out of vaccination. Thus, the present study aimed to identify determinants of vaccination dropouts among children aged 12–23 months in The Gambia. Methods: The study utilized cross-sectional data obtained from the Gambia Demographic and Health Survey 2019–20 (GDHS). The percentage of children aged 12–23 months who dropped out from pentavalent and measles vaccination were calculated by (1) subtracting the third dose of pentavalent vaccine from the first dose of Pentavalent vaccine, and (2) subtracting the first dose of measles vaccine from the first dose Pentavalent vaccine. Generalized Estimating Equation models (GEE) were constructed to examine the risk factors of pentavalent and measles vaccinations dropout. Results: Approximately 7.0% and 4.0% of the 1,302 children aged 12–23 months had dropped out of measles and pentavalent vaccination respectively. The multivariate analyses showed that when caregivers attended fewer than four antenatal care sessions, when children had no health card or whose card was lost, and resided in urban areas increased the odds of pentavalent dropout. On the other hand, when women gave birth in home and other places, when children had no health card, and being an urban areas dweller increased the odds of measles dropout. Conclusion: Tailored public health interventions towards urban residence and health education for all women during ANC are hereby recommended