(Re)Discovering Self Women\u27s Construction of Identities: Socio-cultural View

Through an analysis of how women participate in constructing their identities, this paper interrogates the notions of construction of identity (womanhood identity) as a learning activity among women in Lukani Tanzania. Current dominant theoretical framework in adult education and feminist literature have typically positioned African women as “unknowers” and marginalized in the process of knowledge construction and learning-a link thoroughly constructed both by positivists and poststructural theorists who have called attention to African women’s limitation in participating in learning and development

A prospective study of stroke sub-type from within an incident population in Tanzania

Objectives. We aimed to establish the pathological types of stroke in two incident populations in Tanzania, one rural and one urban, and to examine the clinical utility of the Siriraj and Allen scores in identifying stroke sub-types. Design. This prospective community-based study identified cases as part of a stroke incidence study. Each patient underwent a full assessment including recording demographic information, taking a medical and drug history, and physical examination. A computed tomography (CT) head scan was used to classify strokes as resulting from a cerebral haemorrhage or ischaemia. The results were compared with the Siriraj and Allen scores, obtained from clinical findings. Results. One hundred and thirty-two incident stroke cases were identified in the rural Hai demographic surveillance site (DSS) and 69 in the urban Dar-es-Salaam DSS; 63 patients with stroke due to ischaemia or cerebral haemorrhage from Hai and 17 from Dar-es-Salaam had a CT scan within 15 days of the stroke. Stroke was identified as due to ischaemia in 52 cases (82.5%) and to cerebral haemorrhage in 11 (17.5%) in Hai, and as due to ischaemia in 14 cases (82.4%) and to cerebral haemorrhage in 3 (17.6%) in Dar-es-Salaam. In both sites Siriraj and Allen scores were found to be of little value in predicting stroke sub-type. Conclusions. The ratio of ischaemic to haemorrhagic stroke is much higher in our cohort than previously reported in sub-Saharan Africa, and is closer to that in high-income countries

Reducing child undernutrition through dietary diversification, reduced aflatoxin exposure, and improved hygiene practices: the immediate impacts in central Tanzania

Open Access Article; Published online: 28 Nov 2019The study aimed to quantify the immediate effects of dietary diversification, food safety, and hygiene interventions on child undernutrition in four rural villages in Kongwa district of central Tanzania. One hundred mothers with their children of less than 24 months old were recruited for this study. The difference-in-difference (DID) method was used to assess the effects of intensive intervention through a learning-by-doing process on the topic of aflatoxin free diversified food utilization and improved hygiene practices. Periodic anthropometric measurements were conducted on the 0th, 7th, 14th, and 21st days, and DID estimator showed the significant and positive average marginal effects of the intervention on Z-Scores being 0.459, 0.252, and 0.493 for wasting, stunting, and underweight, respectively. Notably, at the end of the study, the mean aflatoxin M1 level in urine samples decreased by 64% in the intervention group, while it decreased by 11% in the control group. The study provides quantitative evidence on intensive 21-day training for mothers incorporating integrated technologies yielded positive impacts on their children’s nutritional outcomes

Gliricidia-based doubled up legume for improving crops production and agroecosystem resilience in Kongwa and Kiteto districts

United States Agency for International Developmen

Sustainable intensification of maize-based systems through improved use of phosphorus fertilizers

United States Agency for International Developmen

New crop and fodder genotypes for sustainable intensification in semi-arid agro-ecologies of Tanzania

United States Agency for International Developmen

Correlates of short- and long-term case fatality within an incident stroke population in Tanzania

Background. This study aimed to identify correlates of case fatality within an incident stroke population in rural Tanzania.Methods. Stroke patients, identified by the Tanzanian Stroke Incidence Project, underwent a full examination and assessment around the time of incident stroke. Records were made of demographic data, blood pressure, pulse rate and rhythm, physical function (Barthel index), neurological status (communication, swallowing, vision, muscle activity, sensation), echocardiogram, chest X-ray and computed tomography (CT) head scan. Cases were followed up over the next 3 - 6 years.Results. In 130 incident cases included in this study, speech, language and swallowing problems, reduced muscle power, and reduced physical function were all significantly correlated with case fatality at 28 days and 3 years. Age was significantly correlated with case fatality at 3 years, but not at 28 days post-stroke. Smoking history was the only significant correlate of case fatality at 28 days that pre-dated the incident stroke. All other significant correlates were measures of neurological recovery from stroke.Conclusions. This is the first published study of the correlates of post-stroke case fatality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from an incidentstroke population. Case fatality was correlated with the various motor impairments resulting from the incident stroke. Improving poststrokecare may help to reduce stroke case fatality in SSA

Africa RISING genetic intensification in Central Tanzania and Zambia

United States Agency for International Developmen

Harnessing innovation platforms for sustainable intensification R4D experiences from Kongwa and Kiteto, Tanzania

United States Agency for International Developmen