Malaria elimination in Bhutan: asymptomatic malaria cases in the Bhutanese population living in malaria-risk areas and in migrant workers from India

In 2018, Bhutan reported 54 cases of malaria, of which six were indigenous, 14 introduced and 34 imported. Considering the continuous reduction in the number of indigenous cases, Bhutan plans to eliminate malaria by 2025 under the Bhutan Malaria Elimination Strategy. The study was conducted to assess the presence of asymptomatic plasmodial infection in both, Bhutanese population living in malaria-risk areas and in migrant workers to guide the elimination strategies. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2016 in 750 Bhutanese people and 473 migrant workers. Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infections were investigated by using a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Prevalence of asymptomatic plasmodial infection based on PCR was 0.27% (95% CI: 0.05–1.07%) among Bhutanese people with a mean age of 43 years old. The proportions of males and females were 45% and 55%, respectively. Among migrant workers, the prevalence of asymptomatic plasmodial infection was 0.42% (95% CI: 0.07– 1.69%) with a mean age of 30 years old. The majority of migrant workers were from the neighboring Indian State of West Bengal (57.51%), followed by Assam (12.26%). RDT in both study groups did not detect any plasmodial infection. The presence of a low prevalence of asymptomatic plasmodial infection indicates that the current elimination strategies and interventions are effective

Spatial and temporal patterns of dengue incidence in Bhutan: a Bayesian analysis

Dengue is an important emerging vector-borne disease in Bhutan. This study aimed to quantify the spatial and temporal patterns of dengue and their relationship to environmental factors in dengue-affected areas at the sub-district level. A multivariate zero-inflated Poisson regression model was developed using a Bayesian framework with spatial and spatiotemporal random effects modelled using a conditional autoregressive prior structure. The posterior parameters were estimated using Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation with Gibbs sampling. A total of 708 dengue cases were notified through national surveillance between January 2016 and June 2019. Individuals aged ≤14 years were found to be 53% (95% CrI: 42%, 62%) less likely to have dengue infection than those aged >14 years. Dengue cases increased by 63% (95% CrI: 49%, 77%) for a 1°C increase in maximum temperature, and decreased by 48% (95% CrI: 25%, 64%) for a one-unit increase in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). There was significant residual spatial clustering after accounting for climate and environmental variables. The temporal trend was significantly higher than the national average in eastern sub-districts. The findings highlight the impact of climate and environmental variables on dengue transmission and suggests prioritizing high-risk areas for control strategies

An Exemplary National COVID-19 Vaccination: Lessons from Bhutan

Vaccination remains a key public health intervention against the COVID-19 pandemic. However, vaccine distribution and coverage are variable between countries due to access and implementation issues. Vaccine inequity was evident with some countries having no access to the vaccines while others have initiated multiple booster doses. We share Bhutan’s approach to COVID-19 vaccination and lessons learned during the successful conduct of a nationwide vaccination program. As of 12 December 2021, 80.3% of the Bhutanese population have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 77.0% have received at least two doses. Considering age groups, 97.2% of adults (18 years) have received at least one dose and 93.6% have received at least two doses. The first dose coverage for the adolescents 12–17 years was 99.7% and second dose coverage was 92.3% since some were not yet due for their second dose at the time of writing this report. The well-established existing national immunization program was especially useful in the implementation of the national COVID-19 vaccination program. The Bhutan Vaccine System, a digital platform for registration and monitoring of vaccination, was rapidly developed and extensively utilized during the campaign. The selfless leadership of the king, the government, and prior detailed planning with multi-sectoral collaboration and coordination, was the key in this exemplary vaccination program. Bhutan has successfully vaccinated children between 5–11 years with high coverage and no serious issues. Many adults have also received first and second booster doses, based on their risks and preferences

Good fences are key to sustainable pasture management and harmonious pastoral society of Merak and Sakteng in Bhutan

Abstract There is limited knowledge about the traditional tsamdro management practice, particularly the building of walls and fences by the pastoral nomads of Merak and Sakteng. Conflicts related to tsamdro resource access are not a new phenomenon in Bhutanese pastoral communities. In the recent past, as an adaptive response to external economic, political, social and ecological changes, the tsamdro was nationalized. This change in policies brought a host of challenges specifically in managing the existing and building new tsamdro border structures. The objective of the study was to elucidate the motives and purposes behind the building of tsamdro structures, and to explore the historical development, significance and future of yak farming by Brokpas. We used a semi-structured questionnaire and face-to-face interview for collecting both quantitative and qualitative data from 40 yak herders opportunistically selected from both Merak and Sakteng gewogs, village block, refers to a group of villages in Bhutan Trashigang district. The study revealed that tsamdro border structures were primarily built to ensure harmony within the Brokpa society by reducing conflicts caused by livestock trespassing, but structures indirectly assisted in tsamdro management. The structures were one of the encashable family assets passed across generations and played a critical role in shaping the socio-economic developments of Brokpas. Though the tsamdro was nationalized, the Brokpas still continue to hold tsamdro ownership rights and build new tsamdro border structures to protect their livelihood. The contradiction between the government’s policy and Brokpas’ livelihood pattern will have a detrimental effect on both the social harmony of nomadic herders and the traditional tsamdro management practice. We suggest the government develop nomadic-centered policies that encourage tsamdro resource sharing within the Brokpa communities. Socio-economic development incentives are required to address the trespassing conflicts

Using Mathematics Modelling to Teach Mathematics Word Problems

The shift of curriculum from non-contextualized to contextualized mathematics has called schools to focus more on competency based items. The real world word problem has made teaching and learning mathematics more open and less predictable hindering the performances of students. Therefore, the intervention research was conducted with 51 students of class VI of Choekhorling Lower Secondary School, Sarpang, Bhutan to address the difficulties in solving word problems in mathematics. The mathematical modelling was used as an intervention for a period of 10 weeks to narrow the gap between mathematical and real world problems. The study concluded that comprehending the problem and translating real world problem to mathematical problem were the main causes of difficulties in solving competency based items by the participants. Moreover, there was mean difference in pre-intervention and post intervention scores (p<0.001) which indicated statistically significant to ascertain that mathematical modeling can help students’ mathematical leaning become more meaningful and teachers can obtain the patterns of students’ problem-solving competence

Towards the development of eco-industrial estates in Bhutan

This research investigates the potential of applying industrial ecology in the development of eco-industrial estates in Bhutan. It presents the factors contributing to the success or failure of eco-industrial estates along with the benefits arising from the set-up of such facilities to industry, environment, and local communities. The development strategies, policies, practices, laws, rules and regulations, market conditions, and private sector initiatives undertaken in Kalundborg Eco-Industrial Park, Burnside Eco-Industrial Park, and Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in Denmark, Canada, and Thailand respectively are used to analyse the eco-industrial development in Bhutan. The existence of supportive legislation, close working relationship between the government and private sectors, enabling environment for information sharing, and diverse mix of industries in Bhutan are identified as the key opportunities and supportive conditions as well as the challenges for eco-industrial developments in Bhutan and realising the government’s vision for a ‘cleaner’ industrial sector

The distribution, status and conservation of the Himalayan Musk Deer Moschus chrysogaster in Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary

A survey to understand distribution, status and conservation of Himalayan Musk Deer (Moschus chrysogaster) in Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) was conducted in 2017 using camera traps. A pair of camera traps were installed in five habitat areas based on preliminary occurrence information gathered from local herders, forestry staff and unpublished reports. The camera traps were deployed in the field for five months from June through November 2017. Essential ecological parameters such as vegetation, herb species, slope aspect, elevation and indirect evidence of the species were collected from established transects. The survey results were used to develop musk deer habitat suitability and a species distribution model in MaxEnt.Findings indicate that the musk deer currently inhabit small areas and their distribution is more fragmented than in the past. Intensive competition from unregulated grazing, Non Timber Forest Products (NTFP) collection and poaching were observed as major threats to conservation. Initiation of transboundary landscape conservation programs, strengthening of patrolling forest resource collection and grazing are recommended for maintaining and ensuring viable population of the Himalayan Musk Deer in SWS. Keywords: Bhutan, Musk deer, Camera traps, Livestock distribution, Meta-population, Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS

Factors Influencing Teachers’ Intention to Use Technology: Role of TPACK and Facilitating Conditions

The behavioral intention (BI) of teachers to use technology is an important factor in the success of technology use in classrooms. Many models have been developed and extended in different contexts by adding various independent variables to the two initial variables of the Technological Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis,1989): Perceived usefulness (PU) and Perceived ease of use (PEOU) to determine teachers' BI to use technology. However, not many have attempted to investigate the role of Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) and Facilitating Conditions (FC) in determining teachers’ BI to use technology. Further, mediation through PU and PEOU from TPACK and FC to determine BI remains untested. To address these gaps, this study used an extended TAM (eTAM) model to investigate factors influencing teachers' BI to use technology. Employing convenience sampling technique, an electronic survey questionnaire consisting of 22 items was distributed across the schools in two western districts of Bhutan. A total of 207 in-service school teachers voluntarily responded to the survey. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data; first, to examine whether there is any direct influence of TPACK and FC on BI or not, and then the mediating effects of PU and PEOU from TPACK and FC to BI. The findings revealed that there was no evidence of a direct influence from TPACK and FC on BI, though there was a significant effect of TPACK and FC on teachers’ BI when mediated through PU and PEOU

Towards the development of eco-industrial estates in Bhutan

This research investigates the potential of applying industrial ecology in the development of eco-industrial estates in Bhutan. It presents the factors contributing to the success or failure of eco-industrial estates along with the benefits arising from the set-up of such facilities to industry, environment, and local communities. The development strategies, policies, practices, laws, rules and regulations, market conditions, and private sector initiatives undertaken in Kalundborg Eco-Industrial Park, Burnside Eco-Industrial Park, and Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in Denmark, Canada, and Thailand respectively are used to analyse the eco-industrial development in Bhutan. The existence of supportive legislation, close working relationship between the government and private sectors, enabling environment for information sharing, and diverse mix of industries in Bhutan are identified as the key opportunities and supportive conditions as well as the challenges for eco-industrial developments in Bhutan and realising the government’s vision for a ‘cleaner’ industrial sector