Constructing the contraceptive decision-making process: a framework for family planning programs in Sub-Saharan Africa. A Zambian case study

Lucy Nyundo explored the steps taken by individuals and couples to arrive at a fertility decision e.g. family size and contraceptive method. She constructed the contraceptive decision-making process, which can be used to support a Social Marketing approach to accelerate the uptake of modern contraceptives in Sub-Saharan Africa

Termite (Isoptera) Assemblages in Rufiji District Tanzania

Different land uses tend to affect termite feeding groups, abundance and species richness. Termites play a major role in the ecosystem particularly decomposition process, carbon and nitrogen cycling. Termite diversity differs between habitats depending on human activities. The main objective of this study was to investigate termite assemblage under different land use. Termites were sampled with a standardized 100m × 2m straight-belt transect at three named habitats. The difference in feeding groups was statistically not significant. Though termite feeding group variations across habitats were caused by human activities but changes were not high enough to cause significant differences. The results from this study provide a database on termite feeding groups which will be useful for future research in the district. Keywords: Termites, relative abundance, feeding group

An assessment of methods for sampling carabid beetles (Coleptera: Carabidae) in a montane rain forest

Pitfall trapping is the traditional method for sampling carabid beetles and other grounddwelling invertebrates. Tests were carried out in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park between March 1999 and July 2000. Results indicated that pitfall traps were less efficient compared to manual searching methods, both in terms of relative abundance and species richness of carabid beetles. The results are discussed in the context of biodiversity inventories in theEastern Arc Mountains

Seasonal Changes on Termite Foraging Behaviour under Different Habitats in Rufiji District Tanzania

The effect of wet and dry season on termites foraging was examined in cropland, forest and grassland in Rufiji district for a period of one year. Termites species richness as well as abundance were sampled using standardized transect lines. Sampling was carried out on monthly basis. Termite species abundance was significantly different between the three locations, but species richness was not significantly different. These results reveal that termite abundance was higher in disturbed habitat due to the removal of vegetation which denies termites food and areas for nesting. Furthermore movement of termites from lower horizons during the wet season was higher than in the dry season. Key words: Termites activity, abundance, species richness, Rufiji district

Assessment of the Diversity of Dung Beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) Along a Disturbance Gradient in Udzungwa Mountain National Park, Tanzania.

The diversity of dung beetles was assessed along a disturbance gradient in the Uzdungwa Mountains National Park in Tanzania. The form of disturbance involved human activities such as excessive deadwood collection, cutting grasses for thatching and collection of medicinal plants. Disturbance gradients were primary forest (low level / no human activities), moderately disturbed sites and highly disturbed sites. Pitfall traps baited with fresh cow dung were used, nine transect were established along with three transects at each disturbance gradient. Dung beetles abundance, species richness and diversity were analyzed statistically using Diversity and Richness–2.65, SYSTAT Version 10 software. A total of 12,894 dung beetles comprised of 55 species were collected.  Species richness was high in highly disturbed sites (48 species) compared with moderately and primary forest sites (41 species each). Kruskal–Wallis showed statistically significant difference among the three levels of disturbance (H=80.920, p<0.05), with abundance being highest in primary forest. The Shannon-Wiener index showed higher species diversity in the moderately disturbed sites (H′ = 2.5678) and lowest at primary forest (1.7248) and the difference was statistically significance, p>0.05. Key words: Diversity, disturbance gradient, dung beetles, Uzdungwa Mountains National Park

Development of emergency medicine in Rwanda

AbstractRwanda, known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills,” is a small, East African country that was the site of the devastating 1994 genocide. In the past 18years, this post-conflict country has made tremendous progress in rebuilding itself and its health infrastructure. The country has recovered or surpassed many of its pre-1994 health levels, including reduction in HIV/AIDS prevalence, under-five mortality and road traffic accidents. Nevertheless, Rwanda continues to face a high burden of disease. The leading causes of mortality in Rwanda include complications of HIV/AIDS and related opportunistic infections, severe malaria, pulmonary infections, and trauma, and are best managed with emergency and acute care services. However, health care personal resources remain significantly lacking, and there is currently no emergency medicine-trained workforce.The Rwandan government, partnering with international organizations, has launched a campaign to improve human resources for health, and as a part of that effort the creation of training programs in emergency medicine is now underway. The Rwandan Human Resources for Health program can serve as a guide to the development of similar programs within other African countries. The emergency medicine component of this program includes two tracks: a 2-year postgraduate diploma course, followed by a 3-year Masters of Medicine in Emergency Medicine. The program is slated to graduate its first cohort of trained Emergency Physicians in 2017

Adaptation of community-based distribution of family planning services to context-specific social networks: a case of marriage counsellors in Lusaka district, Zambia

Background: The significant contribution of community-based distribution (CBD) of family planning services and contraceptives to the uptake of contraceptives in hard-to-reach communities has resulted in the scaling-up of this approach in many Sub-Saharan countries. However, contextual factors need to be taken into consideration. For example, social network influence (e.g. spouse/partner, in-laws, and parents) on fertility decisions in many African and Asian societies is inevitable because of the social organisational structures. Hence the need to adapt CBD strategies to the social network context of a given society. Methods: Data collection involved structured interviews from August 2018 to March 2019. Randomly selected respondents (n = 149) were recruited from four purposively selected health facilities in Lusaka district, Zambia. Respondents were screened for age (> 15 yrs.) and marital status. A mix of categorical and qualitative data was generated. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS®24) was used to carry out descriptive analysis and tests of association (Fisher’s exact) while Nvivo®12 was used to analyse the qualitative data using a deductive thematic approach. Results: The results indicate that pre-marriage counselling (pre-MC) influences key elements of the husband-wife relationship (p > 0.005), namely; sexual relationship, inter-personal communication, assignation of roles and responsibilities, leadership and authority. These elements of the husband-wife relationship also affect how spouses/partners interact when making fertility decisions. More importantly, the majority (86%) of the respondents indicated having a continuing relationship with their marriage counsellors because of the need to consult them on marital issues. Conclusion: Marriage counsellors, though hardly reported in fertility studies, are important ‘constituents’ of the social network in the Zambian society. This is because marriage counsellors are trusted sources of information about marital issues and often consulted about family planning but perceived not to have the correct information about modern contraceptives. In this context, pre-MC offers a readily available, sustainable and culturally appropriate platform for disseminating accurate information about modern contraceptives provided in a private and personal manner. Therefore, the CBD strategy in Zambia can harness marriage counsellors by recruiting and training them as community agents

The industrial relations court in Zambia from 1971 to 2017: a study of the evolution of an institution of industrial relations

Labour courts fulfill important functions for the justice system of a country. In the post Second World War, scholars and jurists advanced different reasons why industrial relations matters should be removed from being heard by the ordinary courts of law and be transferred to specialized institutions, such as, labour courts and industrial tribunals. Similarly, in Zambia the Industrial Relations Court (IRC), now a division of the High Court following the Constitution Amendment of 2016, was established in 1971 as an institution to resolve industrial relations matters or cases in a simpler, speedier, cheaper and informal manner. This study is about the evolution of the IRC as an institution of industrial relations in Zambia. Emphasis is on the composition and jurisdiction of the IRC which has evolved overtime. In this study, mixed methods research approach was used. Doctrinal legal research method was applied and secondary data was collected from journal articles and books on industrial relations. In addition, primary data was collected from stakeholders, such as trade unions, employers‟ organisations and government institutions using interviews and questionnaires. Content analysis was used to analyse the primary data (qualitative). This study has established that the tripartite composition of the Court in Zambia was consistent from its inception in 1971 to 2016. However, under the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act of 2016 the composition of the Court is unipartite. With regard to jurisdiction, like many countries of the world, the IRC in Zambia generally addresses matters within the scope of worker- employer relations. Further, it has been observed that the Court has had positive impact on industrial relations matters. For example, the Court can intervene and enforce decisions on management which appear reluctant to attend to employees‟ reasonable demands. In addition, the Court cannot be restrained from going behind reasons advanced for termination of employment in order to redress any real injustices discovered. On the basis of the findings of this study, it is recommended that the tripartite composition of the Court be reinstated; the judges of the IRC as a division of the High Court be exempted from the requirement to sit robed when hearing cases; that legislation be enacted to prescribe the jurisdiction, powers and sittings of the IRC in conformity with the provisions of Article 120(3)(b) of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act, 2016. In line with the practice in other countries the Zambian government may consider establishing an Employment Appeal Court (EAC) with exclusive jurisdiction to hear appeals from the IRC on questions of law or mixed law and fact. Key words: Industrial relations, institution, evolution, tripartite, unipartit

Pica as a pe rsistent eating disorder associated with iron deficiency anae mia: two case reports

Introduction: Pica is a mysterious condition characterised by patients developing cravings for non- nutritive substances that may escalate into serious medical complications. We present two case reports with a somewhat unusual nature of presentation attributed to iron deficiency. The first is a 25-year old African woman with abnormal uterine bleeding presenting with a fondness for eating clay, cold drinks, and icepacks. The second is 15- year old African girl who presented with bleeding from the nose, habitual smelling of soil, consuming ice packs and chewing rubber bands. Both presented with haematological parameters diagnostic of iron deficiency anaemia.Conclusion: Despite being practised for centuries, the clinical significance of pica symptoms is often not recognised particularly among the younger physicians. Both our patients responded well to managing the primary cause of blood loss and iron supplementation. We are convinced that pica is an important pointer to iron deficiency and clinicians should suspect occult blood loss in a patient presenting with pica symptoms.Keywords: pica, eating disorder, iron deficiency anaemia, case repor

Brachial plexus lesions: Anatomical knowledge as an essential diagnostic tool in a situation of limited imaging facilities

Diagnosing brachial plexus lesion is a challenge in countries where imaging facilities are not well developed. Here we report 3 cases of different lesions of the brachial plexus sustained after a road traffic crush. The first case presented with a lesion of the 3 primary trunks of the right brachial plexus. The clinical examination showed paralysis of all terminal nerves of the brachial plexus and the collateral branches of both anterior and posterior brachial plexus. The second patient showed paralysis of all muscles of the shoulder and muscles of the anterior compartment of the arm. This clinical feature is in accordance of the upper brachial trunk lesion. The third patient had paralysis of muscles of the hand being innerved by median nerve or ulna nerve. He showed also paralysis of muscles of the anterior compartment of the forearm and anaesthesia of the medial region of hand and forearm. This clinical feature was in conformity with a lesion of inferior primary trunk. All diagnoses were made based on the clinical findings. These cases demonstrate the significance of a through anatomical knowledge in the clinical examination if one has to avoid confusing the signs of terminal nerves lesion with the trunk’s lesion. These cases underscore the importance of applied anatomy in clinical situations