scholarly journals Identification of the Goliath beetles Fornasinius fornasini Bertoloni and Fornasinius hauseri Kraatz (Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele De Palma ◽  
Hitoshi Takano
Keyword(s):  
Lake Victoria ◽  
Original Description ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Large Size ◽  
South Central ◽  
Northern Tanzania ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Lake Victoria Region ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
To Receive

SummaryThe Goliath beetles (subtribe Goliathina) are large Cetoniinae comprising a few highly related genera broadly distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. The genus Fornasinius Bertoloni was established in 1853 by Giuseppe Bertoloni to receive a taxon that was sufficiently distinct from the known representatives of the genus Goliathus Lamarck to merit a different placement. In spite of their large size and showy appearance, the members of the genus Fornasinius are poorly known. Here, the type species of the genus, F. fornasini Bertoloni, 1853 (type locality: Mozambique), is identified and re-described. It has emerged that F. fornasini Bertoloni has been misidentified after its original description and that only a few specimens are known of this species. F. fornasini sensu auct. (nec Bertoloni) is instead referable to another taxon, F. hauseri Kraatz, 1896 sp. bon., of which three subspecies can be distinguished: F. hauseri s. str., from south-central Kenya and possibly Cameroon; F. hauseri ssp. hirthi Preiss, 1904 stat. rev., from the Lake Victoria region and northern Tanzania; and a new subspecies to be described from south-east Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Addressing The Hiv/Aids and Urban Development Nexus in the Lake Victoria Region

2008 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 16-22
Author(s):  
Cecilia Kinuthia-Njenga ◽  
Charles Ndungu
Keyword(s):  
Urban Development ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Lake Victoria ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Access To Health Services ◽  
Slum Upgrading ◽  
Lake Victoria Region ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hiv Aids

UN-HABITAT's experiences in the Lake Victoria region and Sub-Saharan Africa show that the underlying causes of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its consequences on urban development must be urgently and comprehensively addressed. The epidemic affects all sectors of urban development, including housing, transportation, water, and access to health services. Development agencies, whose mission is urban development, have thus started to recognise that achieving their objectives is difficult without addressing and mitigating the impact of the epidemic. A comprehensive policy and programming is required to mitigate both the spread and the effects of the epidemic. Consequently, UN-HABITAT, working with partners and city authorities around Lake Victoria, has embarked on an HIV/AIDS mainstreaming strategy in its Slum Upgrading and Poverty Reduction programme. Related activities and lessons are presented.

scholarly journals Under the Radar: Epidemiology of Plasmodium ovale in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cedar L Mitchell ◽  
Nicholas F Brazeau ◽  
Corinna Keeler ◽  
Melchior Kashamuka Mwandagalirwa ◽  
Antoinette K Tshefu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Plasmodium Ovale ◽  
Malaria Burden ◽  
South Central ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Malaria Species ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract Background Plasmodium ovale is an understudied malaria species prevalent throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa. Little is known about the distribution of ovale malaria and risk factors for infection in areas of high malaria endemicity. Methods Using the 2013 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Demographic and Health Survey, we conducted a risk factor analysis for P. ovale infections. We evaluated geographic clustering of infections and speciated to P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri through deep sequencing. Results Of 18 149 adults tested, we detected 143 prevalent P. ovale infections (prevalence estimate 0.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI], .59%–.98%). Prevalence ratios (PR) for significant risk factors were: male sex PR = 2.12 (95% CI, 1.38–3.26), coprevalent P. falciparum PR = 3.52 (95% CI, 2.06–5.99), and rural residence PR = 2.19 (95% CI, 1.31–3.66). P. ovale was broadly distributed throughout the DRC; an elevated cluster of infections was detected in the south-central region. Speciation revealed P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri circulating throughout the country. Conclusions P. ovale persists broadly in the DRC, a high malaria burden country. For successful elimination of all malaria species, P. ovale needs to be on the radar of malaria control programs.

scholarly journals Malaria and Chikungunya Detected Using Molecular Diagnostics Among Febrile Kenyan Children

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse Waggoner ◽  
Julie Brichard ◽  
Francis Mutuku ◽  
Bryson Ndenga ◽  
Claire Jane Heath ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Clinical Diagnosis ◽  
Lake Victoria ◽  
Febrile Illness ◽  
Primary Diagnosis ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Lake Victoria Region ◽  
The Indian Ocean ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract Background In sub-Saharan Africa, malaria is frequently overdiagnosed as the cause of an undifferentiated febrile illness, whereas arboviral illnesses are presumed to be underdiagnosed. Methods Sera from 385 febrile Kenyan children, who presented to 1 of 4 clinical sites, were tested using microscopy and real-time molecular assays for dengue virus (DENV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), malaria, and Leptospira. Results Malaria was the primary clinical diagnosis for 254 patients, and an arboviral infection (DENV or CHIKV) was the primary diagnosis for 93 patients. In total, 158 patients (41.0%) had malaria and 32 patients (8.3%) had CHIKV infections. Compared with real-time polymerase chain reaction, microscopy demonstrated a percent positive agreement of 49.7%. The percentage of malaria cases detected by microscopy varied significantly between clinical sites. Arboviral infections were the clinical diagnosis for patients on the Indian Ocean coast (91 of 238, 38.2%) significantly more often than patients in the Lake Victoria region (2 of 145, 1.4%; P < .001). However, detection of CHIKV infections was significantly higher in the Lake Victoria region (19 of 145 [13.1%] vs 13 of 239 [5.4%]; P = .012). Conclusions The clinical diagnosis of patients with an acute febrile illness, even when aided by microscopy, remains inaccurate in malaria-endemic areas, contributing to inappropriate management decisions.

Conflicts in Biafra, Katanga and Cabinda as a result of the geopolitical legacy of colonialism

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (10-3) ◽  
pp. 238-246
Author(s):  
Olga Dzhenchakova
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Economic Factor ◽  
Colonial Period ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Impact

The article considers the impact of the colonial past of some countries in sub-Saharan Africa and its effect on their development during the post-colonial period. The negative consequences of the geopolitical legacy of colonialism are shown on the example of three countries: Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Angola, expressed in the emergence of conflicts in these countries based on ethno-cultural, religious and socio-economic contradictions. At the same time, the focus is made on the economic factor and the consequences of the consumer policy of the former metropolises pursuing their mercantile interests were mixed.

scholarly journals Promoting Scale-Up Across a Global Project Platform: Lessons from the Evidence to Action Project

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Ghiron ◽  
Eric Ramirez-Ferrero ◽  
Rita Badiani ◽  
Regina Benevides ◽  
Alexis Ntabona ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Planning ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Health System Strengthening ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Look Ahead ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Multi Stakeholder

AbstractThe USAID-funded flagship family planning service delivery project named Evidence to Action (E2A) worked from 2011 to 2021 to improve family planning and reproductive health for women and girls across seventeen nations in sub-Saharan Africa using a “scaling-up mindset.” The paper discusses three key lessons emerging from the project’s experience with applying ExpandNet’s systematic approach to scale up. The methodology uses ExpandNet/WHO’s scaling-up framework and guidance tools to design and implement pilot or demonstration projects in ways that look ahead to their future scale-up; develop a scaling-up strategy with local stakeholders; and then strategically manage the scaling-up process. The paper describes how a scaling-up mindset was engendered, first within the project’s technical team in Washington and then how they subsequently sought to build capacity at the country level to support scale-up work throughout E2A’s portfolio of activities. The project worked with local multi-stakeholder resource teams, often led by government officials, to equip them to lead the scale-up of family planning and health system strengthening interventions. Examples from project experience in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda illustrating key concepts are discussed. E2A also established a community of practice on systematic approaches to scale up as a platform for sharing learning across a variety of technical agencies engaged in scale-up work and to create learning opportunities for interacting with thought leaders around critical scale-up issues.

scholarly journals Protest, Internet Activism, and Sociopolitical Change in Sub-Saharan Africa

2020 ◽  
pp. 000276422097506
Author(s):  
Oscar Mateos ◽  
Carlos Bajo Erro
Keyword(s):  
Field Work ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Third Wave ◽  
Sociopolitical Change ◽  
The Third ◽  
Political Protests ◽  
Street Protest ◽  
Internet Activism ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Sub Saharan

Sub-Saharan Africa has been the scene of a sizeable wave of social and political protests in recent years. These protests have many aspects in common, while at the same time there is a certain historic continuity connecting them to previous protests, with which they also have much in common. What makes them new, however, is a hybrid nature that combines street protest and online action, making them similar to protests occurring in other parts of the world during the same period. Based on a literature review and field work on three countries, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this article addresses some of the main features of what some authors have called the “third wave of African protests.” The study points out how the digital environment is galvanizing a new process of popular opposition and enabling both greater autonomy for actors promoting the protests and greater interaction at the regional level. With the sociopolitical impact in the short and medium term still uncertain, the third wave of African protests is giving birth to a new political and democratic culture in the region as a whole.

scholarly journals The gut microbiome in konzo

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew S. Bramble ◽  
Neerja Vashist ◽  
Arthur Ko ◽  
Sambhawa Priya ◽  
Céleste Musasa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Childbearing Age ◽  
Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractKonzo, a distinct upper motor neuron disease associated with a cyanogenic diet and chronic malnutrition, predominately affects children and women of childbearing age in sub-Saharan Africa. While the exact biological mechanisms that cause this disease have largely remained elusive, host-genetics and environmental components such as the gut microbiome have been implicated. Using a large study population of 180 individuals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where konzo is most frequent, we investigate how the structure of the gut microbiome varied across geographical contexts, as well as provide the first insight into the gut flora of children affected with this debilitating disease using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Our findings indicate that the gut microbiome structure is highly variable depending on region of sampling, but most interestingly, we identify unique enrichments of bacterial species and functional pathways that potentially modulate the susceptibility of konzo in prone regions of the Congo.

scholarly journals Provider-perceived barriers to diagnosis and treatment of acute coronary syndrome in Tanzania: a qualitative study

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian T Hertz ◽  
Godfrey L Kweka ◽  
Preeti Manavalan ◽  
Melissa H Watt ◽  
Francis M Sakita
Keyword(s):  
Acute Coronary Syndrome ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Care Patient ◽  
Cost Of Care ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Coronary Syndrome ◽  
Provider Perspectives ◽  
Northern Tanzania ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Clinical Officers

Abstract Background The incidence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is growing across sub-Saharan Africa and many healthcare systems are ill-equipped for this growing burden. Evidence suggests that healthcare providers may be underdiagnosing and undertreating ACS, leading to poor health outcomes. The goal of this study was to examine provider perspectives on barriers to ACS care in Tanzania in order to identify opportunities for interventions to improve care. Methods Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with physicians and clinical officers from emergency departments and outpatient departments in northern Tanzania. Thematic analysis was conducted using an iterative cycle of coding and consensus building. Results The 11 participants included six physicians and five clinical officers from health centers, community hospitals and one referral hospital. Providers identified barriers related to providers, systems and patients. Provider-related barriers included inadequate training regarding ACS and poor application of textbook-based knowledge. System-related barriers included lack of diagnostic equipment, unavailability of treatments, referral system delays, lack of data regarding disease burden, absence of locally relevant guidelines and cost of care. Patient-related barriers included inadequate ACS knowledge, inappropriate healthcare-seeking behavior and non-adherence. Conclusions This study identified actionable barriers to ACS care in northern Tanzania. Multifaceted interventions are urgently needed to improve care.

Assessing Assets Among Street-Connected Youth: New Angles With Participatory Methods in Tanzania

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 619-651
Author(s):  
Laura R. Johnson ◽  
Christopher F. Drescher ◽  
Sophia H. Assenga ◽  
Rachel J. Marsh
Keyword(s):  
Contextual Information ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Street Youth ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Participatory Methods ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Use Of Time ◽  
Northern Tanzania ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
High Level

Street-connected adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa have been neglected in scholarly research. Extant literature is largely problem focused. This study describes strengths and assets among street-connected youth in Tanzania, using a participatory, mixed methods approach. Adolescents ( N = 38, 13-17 years) in a rehabilitation center for street youth in Northern Tanzania completed a Swahili version of the Developmental Assets Profile (DAP). They engaged in participatory activities designed to capture multiple perspectives and promote maximal engagement. A subsample of youth ( n = 8) took part in photovoice to elucidate contextual details. Although exploratory, we expected (a) participants would have lower scores on the external versus internal domain of the DAP; (b) qualitative methods would support the DAP and provide complementary, contextual information; and (c) participatory methods would be important for providing varied perspectives and engaging youth in the research process. Results revealed a moderately high level of assets, with strengths in constructive use of time and commitment to school. External assets were higher than internal assets; however, different assets were emphasized across different methods. Overall, results supported the DAP framework. The participatory approaches effectively engaged youth and illuminated the culture and context of their development.

scholarly journals Historical and current distribution, population size and possible migration routes of the Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea in Africa

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 240-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEVEN W. EVANS ◽  
H. BOUWMAN
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Total Current ◽  
Migration Routes ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Migratory Routes ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
And Migration

SummaryThe Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea is restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, its population size previously estimated at fewer than 1,500 pairs, and is classified as Vulnerable. A better understanding of its current distributional range, population size, protection status and migration routes would improve our ability to conserve the species and the grassland and wetland habitat on which it depends. We now estimate that the Blue Swallow population in the 1850s may have numbered between 1,560 and 2,300 pairs. Based on an assessment of available data, we now estimate the total current Blue Swallow population at 1,006 pairs or 2,012 individuals, an estimated 36–56% decline over the last 150 years. There may be three separate Blue Swallow sub-populations and seven separate migratory routes between their breeding and non-breeding grounds. The Blue Swallow’s range in South Africa and Swaziland has contracted by 74%. The majority of Blue Swallows occupy unprotected areas on their non-breeding grounds in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya. The Blue Swallow population in Africa will continue to decline unless the causes of reduction in Blue Swallow habitat quantity and quality can be stopped and sufficient and additional habitat set aside to sustain viable Blue Swallow populations throughout their range.

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