THE ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA AMONG THE YOUTH IN THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF MOSHI AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR YOUTH FAITH SHARING

The purpose of this study is to examine evangelization in the Catholic Diocese of Moshi in the advent of social media in the 21st century. It investigates the use of social media among youth to find out what social media young people are using and how they are using it to share their faith. It explores the question of whether the use of social media among youth helps them actively in the use in their faith. A survey of 220 youth was conducted across four Vicariates of the Catholic Diocese of Moshi. The results show themajority of the sampled population use social media with Facebook (i.e., 84.44%) emerging as the leading source. Smartphones were the most popular device used by youth (i.e., 96%). The results suggest that the youth of the Diocese of Moshi access social media regularly and are using it for faith sharing (i.e., 90%). Apart from faith sharing, the youth surveyed interact with friends and families to explore politics, business, entertainment and education. Limitations of the research are provided and suggestions for further research are provided

Factors Affecting Students’ Enrolment and Dropout at The Open University of Tanzania, Lindi Region

Factors affecting student enrolment and dropout were identified at OUTLindi Region with strategies for increasing enrolment while reducing dropout. Quantitative and qualitative methods that involved documentary survey, questionnaires and interviews were used to collect the data. The data were analyzed by Statistix (Version 7.0) Computer programme package (2000), Analytical Software SPSS Version 16 and Microsoft Office Excel (2007). The results indicated that 5% of the students enrolled were residents of Lindi Region and the rest (95%) were from other regions. From the total number of 529 students enrolled for the period of 17 years, 79% were male and 21% female. Out of the 53 students who graduated, 72% were male and 28% female. The overall findings revealed that as the students’ enrolment increased, the dropout also increased. Identified dropout problems were related to social, personal, financial, academic, students support services and cultural factors. It is recommended that raising awareness to the Lindi residents about valuing education can be done in schools, Teacher Resource Centers, religious groups and other groups or meetings. Other strategies that can be used include fliers toenhance the awareness and advertisements through television,  newspapers, and radio. Face to face sessions should be strengthened, and ODL students to be encouraged to seek help for their personal, social and academic problems from University and student counselors. In addition, the University should regularly review curricula and study materials; have well equipped mini-computer labs and mini-libraries in all OUT centers. OUT should upgrade to College level, the Regional centres and  decentralize them to District levels with the help from the Government. Females need to be sensitized and encouraged to study at OUT. OUTshould use the proposed operation model in its activities. Key words: factors, enrolment, dropou

Environmental Management Tool for Treatment of Wastewater and Re-use in Aquaculture and Agriculture: The use of Wetlands and other Bio-systems in Treatment of Wastewater & re-use/recycling

STELLA II v9.1.4 Modelling Software (1985-2010) was used to develop a fish pond model which is a good environmental health management tool. The problem studied was to reduce environmental pollution and encourage efficient reuse of used resources. The methods used in the study were quantitative by grabbing the wastewater samples three times a week seasonally in one year and data for model calibration was collected daily for a period of three months. Temperature, pH, and DO were measured “in situ” using portable Multi-parameter, HACH Model SENSION 156 (2001). Org-N, TKN, NH3-N, NO3-N, N-Sediments, Chl”a”/N-Planktons, N-Fishes and F-Coliforms were measured in laboratories by standard methods of water and wastewater treatment. The results obtained indicated that Ammonia-Nitrogen (NH3-N) in fish pond receiving outlet from Horizontal Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetland (HSSFCW) reached an average of 3.3 mg/l NH3-N more than 1.2 mg/l standard for re-use in agriculture and body threshold of 0.1 mg/l. N-Fishes was 21.1% higher than the Standards of 4-10% in animal tissues. The dominant routes of Nitrogen removal were sedimentation, accretion, decaying and denitrification resulting in 87.48% total N-removal at 95% confidence level. Sensitivity analysis of fish pond model gave the uptake rate of 0.3 d-1 NH4-N (R2 = 0.71) and fish growth rate of 7.0 d-1 (R2 = 0.99) as the most important parameters. It is concluded to construct two further HSSFCWs to buffer N-nutrients. It is recommended to conduct another research to examine Nitrogen and toxic heavy metals in soils and yields from farms to safeguard human health and the environment

Delay in Seeking Care Among Tuberculosis Patients Attending Tuberculosis Clinics in Rungwe District, Tanzania.

Tuberculosis is one of the major public health problems in Tanzania. The main control strategy in the country is passive case finding whereby people with symptoms are expected to go to health facilities for further investigation. Still there is delay in seeking care in the population. Delay in case detection and treatment may worsen the prognosis of the disease and spread of infection. It is therefore important to determine factors responsible for delay in seeking care in order to develop strategies to address them. The main objective of this study was to asses social and cultural factors that contribute to delay in seeking care among tuberculosis patients attending DOTS clinics in Rungwe District Materials and methods: The study was a cross sectional analytical in nature conducted in Rungwe district involved 232 TB patients .Exit interview were used to collect data and data were analyzed computer software, Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 15. Convenience sampling was used to select study participants. Results were presented in frequencies, percentages and Chi-square test was applied to show the association between dependent and independent variables. Ethical issues were observed. The study revealed majority of the patients (71%) delayed to seek care. Older (above 44 years) patients were at a significant elevated risk (OR = 3.8; 95% CI = 1.7, 8.5), to delay in seeking for health care. Similarly, although not significant, females were twice as likely as males to delay to seek for health care (OR = 2.1; 95% CI = 0.9, 4.5). Social and traditional practices had significant contribution to delay in seeking medical care. Factors associated with delay in seeking health care for more than 30 days after development of symptoms included age, gender, place of first resort and perceived severity of the disease. Community should be sensitized on seeking appropriate health care, sensitization programs should take into consideration different groups in a society such as women, elders, illiterate and poor by using culturally convenient media of communication to ensure that the whole community is reached.\u

Motor Traffic Injuries in sub-Saharan Africa

Motor traffic injuries are recognized as a major public health problem in developing countries. MTIs continue to cause morbidity, mortality and disability in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA).To describe the magnitude of MTI’s in SSA and to find the magnitude of morbidity and mortality caused by MTI’s. The World Health Organization (WHO), PUBMED and EMBASE databases were used to identify documents and articles on MTIs in SSA and its effects. The literature review was supplemented by document review and interviews with a key informant in one region of Tanzania to determine the magnitude of morbidity and mortality associated with MTI’s in Tanzania. The mortality rate due to MTI’s in Lower and Middle Income Countries(LMIC’s) including SSA is about 20 per 100,000 population while in High Income Countries(HIC’s) it is about 10.3 per 100,000 population. MTI’s also represent the ninth leading cause of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY’s) lost and are forecasted by WHO to be the third leading cause of DALY’s lost by 2020. Total number of reported accidents in Kilimanjaro region in 2008 was 906 while in 2009 it was 1,125 accounting for an increase of 24%. The total mortality reported in 2008 was 147 and 202 in 2009 with an increase of 37%. The total morbidity was 622 in 2008 and 933 in 2009 accounting for a 50% increase. The high mortality rate in SSA of about 20 per 100,000 population is contributed mainly by human factors with the major being reckless driving and negligence of drivers, pedestrians and passengers. Morbidity and mortality due to MTI’s is increasing gradually over time as seen from the Kilimanjaro documents. The burden of MTI morbidity and mortality is predicted to rise by 80% in SSA and fall by 30% in HIC’s by 2020. MTI is still a public health problem in LMIC’s. Measures to improve human factors in causing MTA are urgently required in order to reverse the trend. I hereby conclude with the motto by the National Road Safety Council of Tanzania which says “Road safety is NO ACCIDENT” and that “Road safety is for sharing”

Urogenital schistosomiasis knowledge, attitudes and practices among the community members in Lindi, Tanzania: A qualitative study

Background: Urogenital schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma haematobium (S. haematobium), remains a public health problem in Lindi region. Despite twelve rounds of praziquantel preventive chemotherapy. There is a scarcity of information on the factors perpetuating the transmission of S. haematobium in Lindi. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the urogenital schistosomiasis knowledge, attitudes, and practices among the community members in Mtama district in the Lindi region of Tanzania.Methodology: A cross-sectional study employing a qualitative approach was conducted in Mtama, Lindi in May 2021. The respondents were purposively sampled, and a total of 6 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), 2 in each village were conducted. The FGDs were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed thematically to identify emerging themes.Results: Majority of respondents were aware of the endemicity of S. haematobium and the ongoing distribution of praziquantel preventive chemotherapy. Respondents had inadequate knowledge of the disease causation and the role of snails in disease transmission. Also, misconception on the modes of disease transmission was observed. Respondents had undesirable attitudes. They were against regular screening of urogenital schistosomiasis and were into the use of traditional ways of treatment to dodge screening and treatment costs. Respondents exhibited inappropriate water, sanitation, and hygienic practices (WaSH), thus perpetuating disease transmission.Conclusion: Despite the community being aware and knowledgeable of urogenital schistosomiasis, there is inadequate understanding of how the disease is transmitted, the roles of snails in S. haematobium transmission, coupled with undesirable attitudes and inappropriate practices. These potentially compromise the ongoing Government efforts to control the disease in Lindi region. Therefore, there is need to initiate a community-based health education programme targeting behaviour change

Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs on contributing factors among low back pain patients attending outpatient physiotherapy treatment in Malawi

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) affects many people globally. Its aetiology is not clear. Patients lack knowledge of its contributing factors and have negative perception about their LBP. This study aimed to identify knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding the perceived contributing factors to LBP among patients attending physiotherapy outpatient departments in Malawi. This information can possibly facilitate planning of a LBP education programme in Malawi. METHODS: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted, using a six-part selfadministered questionnaire with questions on demographic information, participants’ attitudes and beliefs regarding their LBP, knowledge about the course and causes of LBP, beliefs regarding nine contributing factors to LBP (identified in a Delphi study) and the sources of the participants’ knowledge. Data were analysed descriptively using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 19.0). A Chi-square test was used to determine any association between variables (alpha 0.05). All ethical procedures were strictly followed. RESULTS: Most participants (186, 91.2 %) did not manage to answer all six questions regarding knowledge correctly and were regarded as ‘partially knowledgeable’ about the course and causes of LBP. More than half (67%) portrayed negative attitudes and beliefs about LBP in general. The findings also showed a statistically significant relationship between knowledge, attitudes and beliefs (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: This study highlighted that many patients with LBP in Malawi are not adequately knowledgeable about LBP and hold negative attitudes and beliefs regarding their LBP. Therefore, LBP management programmes in Malawi should include education programmes aimed at empowering patients with knowledge regarding LBP, as well as changing their negative attitudes and beliefs about their pain. Patients’ understanding of the cause and nature of their pain may enhance the achievement of treatment goals.DHE

Contribution of Joint Forest Management in Improving Conservation and Local Livelihood in Rufiji District, Tanzania

This paper attempts to explore the contribution of Joint Forest Management in improving conservation and local livelihood in Rufiji District. The study was carried in three villages (Mkupuka, Mangwi and Muyuyu). Household survey, key informants interviews, focus group discussions, and archive information were used to collect data. A total of 90 households, 10 key informants, and 9 Focus Group Discussion members were involved. Results indicate that 57% of the respondents had the view that local communities around Ngumburuni Forest Reserve did not realize direct benefits from JFM practices. Findings have also revealed that 82.2% of the respondents perceived the increased trend of deforestation after the introduction of JFM, a feature that does not promise sustainability of the forest reserve. Findings indicate that challenges hindered effective management of forest reserve include the increase of human population, expanding agriculture, and insufficient fund. The study concludes that, JFM has failed to show substantial contributions towards enhancing conservation and livelihood of local communities in the study area. It is recommended that for sustainable management of the forest resources there is a need to strengthen the JFM in improving conservation and enhancing local livelihood through conservation awareness, involvement of the local community in implementation of the JFM strategies, to ensure equal distribution of benefits realized from forest conservation, and strengthening patrol of the forest resources

Ensuring Integrated Water Resource Management in Tanzania Benefits All

The introduction of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in the early 1990s by international donors has led to some important new knowledge about availability and uses of water resources in Tanzania. However, more needs to be done to recognise the priorities of the rural majority of small-scale users, and not just those of donors, the environmental lobby and foreign investors in land and water. Greater efforts also need to be made by the basin offices to regulate high-impact users, and to work with existing district and local government structures that have developed and managed water to serve the rural majority since independence, rather than create additional top-down parallel institutional layers.Norwegian Research Counci