Factors Influencing Extension Workers’ Behavioural Intentions Towards Digital Farm Technologies in Malawi

Information and Communication and digital farm technologies are vital in improving agriculture produc-tion. Despite introducing digital farm technologies in Malawi, the country continues to have low agriculture production. The country has a low uptake of technology, which is a major driving factor of agriculture productivity. Therefore, this research aims to examine factors that influence the behavioural intention of extension workers towards using digital farm technologies to improve agriculture production. The research covers 14 districts of Malawi, where the digital farm technology, National Agriculture Management Infor-mation System (NAMIS), is currently operational. Centring on the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the quantitative study approach showed that perceived behaviour control and subjective norms influence be-haviour intention. At the same time, attitude is not a significant determinant of behaviour intention of using digital farm technologies

Analysis on the association among stunting, wasting and underweight in Malawi: an application of a log-linear model for the three-way table

Childhood undernutrition is an important public health problem. Many studies have investigated the factors of childhood undernutrition, but not the association between the undernutrition indicators. This study aimed at investigating the association between the childhood undernutrition indicators. A loglinear model of cell counts of a three way table of stunting, wasting, and underweight was fitted based on the 2010 Malawi demographic health survey data. Interaction terms in the model depicted deviations from independence. A multiple correspondence analysis of undernutrition indicators was also plotted to have a visual impression of association of the undernutrition variables. A loglinear model showed that underweight was associated with both stunting (P<0.001), and wasting (P<0.001). There was no association between stunting and wasting (P=1). Furthermore there was no three way association of stunting, wasting and underweight (P=1). Lack of three way interaction of stunting, wasting and underweight means that childhood undernutrition multidimensional nature is still valid, and no each indicator can represent the other

Spatial temporal distribution of COVID-19 risk during the early phase of the pandemic in Malawi

Background COVID-19 has been one of the greatest challenges the world has faced since the second world war. This study aimed at investigating the distribution of COVID-19 in both space and time in Malawi. Methods The study used publicly available data of COVID-19 cases for the period from 2 April 2020 to 28 October 2020. Semiparametric spatial temporal models were fitted to the number of monthly confirmed cases as an outcome data, with time and district as independent variables, where district was the spatial unit, while accounting for sociodemographic factors. Results The study found significant effects of location and time, with the two interacting. The spatial distribution of COVID-19 risk showed major cities being at greater risk than rural areas. Over time, the COVID-19 risk was increasing then decreasing in most districts with the rural districts being consistently at lower risk. High proportion of elderly people was positively associated with COVID-19 risk (β = 1.272, 95% CI [0.171, 2.370]) than low proportion of elderly people. There was negative association between poverty incidence and COVID-19 risk (β = −0.100, 95% CI [−0.136, −0.065]). Conclusion Future or present strategies to limit the spread of COVID-19 should target major cities and the focus should be on time periods that had shown high risk. Furthermore, the focus should be on elderly and rich people

Phytochemical composition of four selected vegetable spices commonly consumed in Malawi

Spices, regardless of source, play an important role in enhancing or improving flavor of foods or dishes. In this study, determination of phytochemical composition with respect to total phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity and vitamin C was conducted in four selected vegetable spices consumed in Malawi, namely Allium cepa L, Allium sativum L, green bell pepper (Capsicum annum L.) and Zingiber officinale. Results showed that total phenolic composition, in mg GAE/100 g, was highest in Zingiber officinale rhizomes (326.5±0.39) followed by Allium cepa L. (169.7±0.00), green bell pepper (124.9±0.20) and Allium sativum L. (72.72±0.39), respectively. Results further showed that Zingiber officinale had the highest antioxidant capacity and reducing power and the lowest vitamin C content, in the range of 21.78±0.21 mg AAE/100 g, 24.35±2.24 mg AAE/g and 3.61±0.23 mg AAE/100 g, respectively compared to the other vegetable spices. On the other hand, vitamin C content was highest in Allium sativum L followed by red Allium cepa L registering values of 455.0±2.12 and 443.4±2.50 mg AAE/100 g, respectively. The reducing power (in mg AAE/g) of the vegetable spices was highest in green bell pepper (Capsicum annum L.) with the value of 17.11±1.549 followed by red Allium cepa L. (9.519±0.860) and Allium sativum L. (5.922±0.778), respectively. Total tannins content, in mg TAE/g, was highest in Allium sativum L, which registered the value of 159.56±4.84 followed by Zingiber officinale (91.53±0.33), bell pepper (79.94±0.21) and Allium cepa L (49.36±1.98). Furthermore, phytic acid and oxalic acid contents were highest in Zingiber officinale registering values of 5.504±0.822 mg/kg and 37.25±2.83 mg/g, respectively. Red Allium cepa L. was found to contain 20.53±0.916 mg/g oxalic acid but had the lowest phytic acid content registering the value of 2.057±0.095 mg/kg. It can be concluded that the high phytochemical composition in the four vegetable spices, with low antinutrients like phytic and oxalic acids, can play an important role in improving human nutrition and health of consumers

Systematic review and chemoinformatics analysis of anti-allergic medicinal plants used in Malawi

In Malawi, ethnobotanical surveys have been carried out on the plants used to treat or manage allergies and their symptoms. However, studies focusing on information analysis such as systematic reviews of anti-allergic plants and natural products are not yet published. This review highlighted and analysed data of potential anti-allergic medicinal plants used in Malawi in order to discover potential treatments for allergies through various approaches and improve well-being of people. Literature search strategy was used to collect data of medicinal plants. Chemoinformatics analysis was applied to compile associated natural products and to profile the physicochemical properties (drug-likeness and fingerprint diversity) with references to 60 antihistamine 1 drugs (H1R drugs) and 277 anti-H1 receptor inhibitors. Sixty (60) medicinal plants from 36 families out of 645 reported plant species had information of diseases or symptoms of allergies. The Malawian Natural Products (MNP) data set composed of 1757 unique compounds was compiled for the first time from 39 of 60 medicinal plants and approximately 48.9 % and 45.3 % of the compounds did not violate Lipinski and Veber drug-like rules respectively. Chemical space mapping revealed that compounds from Malawian medicinal plants are structurally diverse and share a small space with antihistamine compounds and drugs. This information is useful in exploring other anti-allergy biological mechanisms for natural products. Similarity screening identified usambarine (CID442121), which is structurally similar to 2,8-Dimethyl-5-(2-pyrazine-2-ylethyl)-gamma-carboline (CHEMBL1783970) and 29 other antihistamine compounds. The results will be used as a baseline for further studies which may eventually lead to the discovery of potential allergy treatments through various approaches. This could improve health and well-being of people which is in line with goal number 3 of Sustainable Development Goals, Africa's Union's Agenda 2063 and National Research Agenda for the Malawi 2063