Potential of palm oil-based agro-diesel in Butembo region in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Oil dependence is one of the major global energy problems exacerbating impoverishment in developing countries and especially in rural areas. This study aims to highlight the observation of this dependence for the Butembo region and envisages measures to reduce it by developing a potentially profitable sector, a hapax opportunity for the economic development of the peasantry. It deals with the use of a non-rare energy, palm oil as an alternative to diesel. With this in mind, investigations have been conducted. They took us first to the customs institutions (DGDA) to raise the import share of diesel, then to facilities that have already experimented with palm oil as a fuel and finally to large consumers of diesel in the region (industrial, fuel pumping stations and other factories) to collect their opinions on agro- energy. From the investigations carried out, it appears that in the Butembo region the import of diesel takes a heavy price annually which overlaps 40,000,000 $US for the last three years (2015-2017). The opinions of the respondents contribute to a consensus. They believe that palm oil-based agro-energy is a necessity in the region. However, this process requires technical, environmental and socio-economic prerequisites. At the technical level, the technological package must first be fully mastered and controlled to avoid the setbacks already experienced in the region. In terms of the environment, the extension of the palm grove to support agro-energy will have to be done with all caution, avoiding the generalized deforestation of forest massifs that are shrinking at the margins of the region. Similarly, this development will have to avoid producing the opposite effect of the expected results, which would consist in blocking the rise of the peasantry by large agricultural firms that crush the small family farming that is vital for the people in the study region. Well conducted, this process of adoption of agro-energy in the Butembo region can keep its promises. It raises many hopes, only preconditions remain the big challenges

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Content and Retention of Provitamin A Carotenoids Following Ripening and Local Processing of Four Popular Musa Cultivars from Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Sustainable Agriculture Research ◽

10.5539/sar.v2n2p60 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 60 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Beatrice Nakhauka Ekesa ◽

Judith Kimiywe ◽

Inge Van den Bergh ◽

Guy Blomme ◽

Claudie Dhuique-Mayer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin A ◽

Palm Oil ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Vitamin A Deficiency ◽

Provitamin A ◽

Local Processing ◽

Dietary Intakes ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Provitamin A Carotenoids

Changes in the concentrations and retention levels of total and individual provitamin A carotenoids (pVACs) during ripening and local processing of the four most popular Musa cultivars of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were established through HPLC analysis. The predominant pVACs were all trans ?- and ?-carotene, together constituting about 90% of total pVACs content in raw and processed Musa fruit pulp. The proportion of ?- and ?-carotene was not significantly different in the tested East African Highland Bananas (AAA-EAHB) (‘Nshikazi’ and ‘Vulambya’); in the plantains (‘Musilongo’ and ‘Musheba’), proportion of ?-carotene was almost twice that of ?-carotene. An increase in total pVACs was observed during ripening, with highest levels at ripening stage 3 in all four cultivars. Total pVACs values were as high as 1081µg/100gfw in ‘Vulambya’ and 1819µg/100gfw in ‘Musilongo’. Boiling of the AAA-EAHB and AAB-Plantains resulted to retention of between 40-90% and >95% respectively. Plantains deep-fried in fully-refined palm oil and crude red palm oil for 2 minutes did not seem to lose any pVACs, the levels of total pVACs observed after frying were 100% of what was observed when the fruit was raw. Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE), in boiled products varied between 22.3 and 173 RAEµg/100gfw, whereas deep fried products had >190 RAEµg/100g edible portion. These results show that the tested AAA-EAHBs and the plantains could meet at least 14% and 30 % of Vitamin A recommended dietary intakes respectively. The findings can therefore guide consumer consumption patterns to maximize vitamin A intake for improved health in these regions and also direct researchers in the selection of Musa cultivars to be incorporated within existing farming systems in the fight against vitamin A deficiency (VAD).

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Rwanda

Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198837336.003.0043 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Marius Schneider ◽

Vanessa Ferguson

Keyword(s):

East Africa ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Republic Of Congo

Found in East Africa, Rwanda borders the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Uganda, and Burundi. It is a hilly and fertile landlocked state of 26,338 square kilometres (km). It is one of the smallest countries on the continent but is densely populated with 12.2 million people in 2017. Kigali is the capital of and largest city in Rwanda. It is also Rwanda’s economic, cultural, and transport hub and is found in the centre of the country. Most of the population lives in rural areas. Rwanda has a forty-five-hour working week and the currency used is Rwandan franc (FRW).

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Developing strategies to attract, retain and support midwives in rural fragile settings: participatory workshops with health system stakeholders in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo

Health Research Policy and Systems ◽

10.1186/s12961-020-00631-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Amuda Baba ◽

Tim Martineau ◽

Sally Theobald ◽

Paluku Sabuni ◽

Marie Muziakukwa Nobabo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Health Workers ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

African Countries ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Birth Attendants ◽

Rural Settings ◽

Attraction And Retention ◽

Maternal And Newborn

Abstract Background Midwifery plays a vital role in the quality of care as well as rapid and sustained reductions in maternal and newborn mortality. Like most other sub-Saharan African countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo experiences shortages and inequitable distribution of health workers, particularly in rural areas and fragile settings. The aim of this study was to identify strategies that can help to attract, support and retain midwives in the fragile and rural Ituri province. Methods A qualitative participatory research design, through a workshop methodology, was used in this study. Participatory workshops were held in Bunia, Aru and Adja health districts in Ituri Province with provincial, district and facility managers, midwives and nurses, and non-governmental organisation, church medical coordination and nursing school representatives. In these workshops, data on the availability and distribution of midwives as well as their experiences in providing midwifery services were presented and discussed, followed by the development of strategies to attract, retain and support midwives. The workshops were digitally recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed using NVivo 12. Results The study revealed that participants acknowledged that most of the policies in relation to rural attraction and retention of health workers were not implemented, whilst a few have been partially put in place. Key strategies embedded in the realities of the rural fragile Ituri province were proposed, including organising midwifery training in nursing schools located in rural areas; recruiting students from rural areas; encouraging communities to use health services and thus generate more income; lobbying non-governmental organisations and churches to support the improvement of midwives’ living and working conditions; and integrating traditional birth attendants in health facilities. Contextual solutions were proposed to overcome challenges. Conclusion Midwives are key skilled birth attendants managing maternal and newborn healthcare in rural areas. Ensuring their availability through effective attraction and retention strategies is essential in fragile and rural settings. This participatory approach through a workshop methodology that engages different stakeholders and builds on available data, can promote learning health systems and develop pragmatic strategies for the attraction and retention of health workers in fragile remote and rural settings.

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A quantitative comparison of frugivorous tephritids (Diptera: Tephritidae) in tropical forests and rural areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485311000216 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 101 (5) ◽

pp. 591-597 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

M. Virgilio ◽

T. Backeljau ◽

R. Emeleme ◽

J.L. Juakali ◽

M. De Meyer

Keyword(s):

Tropical Forests ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Small Scale ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Rural Villages ◽

Congo River ◽

Disturbed Habitats

AbstractMost of the current knowledge about African tephritids originates from studies performed in agricultural areas, while information about their distribution in pristine or moderately disturbed environments is extremely scarce. This study aims at (i) describing levels of spatial variability of frugivorous tephritids in tropical forests and small rural villages of the Congo River basin and (ii) verifying if human-mediated activities, such as small-scale agriculture and trade, can affect their distribution patterns. Four locations were sampled along a 250 km stretch of the Congo River. At each location, pristine and disturbed habitats (i.e. tropical forests and small rural villages, respectively) were sampled, with three replicate sites in each combination of habitat and location. Sampling with modified McPhail traps baited with four different attractants yielded 819 tephritid specimens of 29 species from seven genera (Bactrocera, Carpophthoromyia, Ceratitis, Dacus, Celidodacus, Perilampsis, Trirhithrum). The three most abundant species sampled (Dacus bivittatus, D. punctatifrons, Bactrocera invadens) showed significant variations in abundance across locations and sites and accounted for 98.29% of the overall dissimilarity between habitats. Assemblages differed among locations and sites while they showed significant differences between pristine and disturbed habitats in two out of the four locations. This study shows that frugivorous tephritids in central Congo have remarkably patchy distributions with differences among locations and sites representing the main source of variability. Our data show that, in rural villages of central Democratic Republic of Congo, human activities, such as small-scale agriculture and local commerce, are not always sufficient to promote differences between the tephritid assemblages of villages and those of the surrounding tropical forests.

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Erratum to: High Prevalences and a Wide Genetic Diversity of Simian Retroviruses in Non-human Primate Bushmeat in Rural Areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo

EcoHealth ◽

10.1007/s10393-017-1223-3 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 115-115 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Steve Ahuka-Mundeke ◽

Ahidjo Ayouba ◽

Placide Mbala-Kingebeni ◽

Caroline Foncelle ◽

Mukulumanya Mubonga ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Human Primate

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Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000 (Democratic Republic of Congo v Belgium) An Analysis of Human Dignity of the People, for the People, by the People

The Development of Human Rights Law by the Judges of the International Court of Justice ◽

10.5040/9781472563859.ch-012 ◽

2014 ◽

Keyword(s):

Human Dignity ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Arrest Warrant ◽

The People

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Land Use and Land Cover Change Detection in Rural Areas of River Lwiro Micro-catchment, Lake Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo

Journal of Scientific Research and Reports ◽

10.9734/jsrr/2016/15850 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

M Bagalwa ◽

J Majaliwa ◽

F Kansiime ◽

S Bashwira ◽

M Tenywa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Cover ◽

Change Detection ◽

Land Cover Change ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Lake Kivu ◽

Land Cover Change Detection

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Frequency and management of non-obstetric fistula in the Democratic Republic of Congo: experience from Fistula Care Plus project

Nepal Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology ◽

10.3126/njog.v13i2.21883 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Alexandre Delamou ◽

Michel Mpunga ◽

Félicien Banze ◽

Dolores Nembunzu ◽

Kenny Raha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Surgical Repair ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Obstetric Fistula ◽

Type I ◽

Medical Procedure ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Congenital Origin ◽

Free Generation

Aims: To describe the frequency and management of non-obstetric fistula (NOF) in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Methods: A retrospective cohort study reviewed patients’ medical records in three fistula repair sites supported by the USAID-funded Fistula Care Plus (FC+) Project, covering 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2017. Study variables included demographic characteristics, fistula etiology as reported by surgeon, fistula type (Waaldijk classification), and treatment outcomes. Results: Of 1984 women treated for female genital fistula between 2015 and 2017 in the three sites, 384 (19%) were considered to be NOF cases. 91% of these women resided in rural areas. 49.3% were married/in relationship at time of treatment compared to 69% before the fistula (p<0.001). Most (n=316; 82.3%) had no previous repair attempts and 96.2% had an intact urethra. Type III (n=247; 64.3%) and type I (n=121; 31.5%) fistulas (Waaldijk classification) were most common. The main causes of NOF were medical procedure (n=305; 79.4%), congenital origin (41; 10.7%) or sexual assault (28; 7.3%). Caesarean section (n=234; 76.7%) and hysterectomy (n=54; 17.7%) were the most common causative procedures. 369 women with NOF received surgical repair (96%), mainly through routine services (n=317; 85.9%). At discharge, 353 women were closed and dry (95.7%) and 11 were closed with residual incontinence (3.0%). Conclusions: NOF, particularly due to iatrogenic causes, was relatively common in DRC. Surgical repair at FC+-supported sites led to good clinical outcomes. However, to achieve a fistula-free generation in DRC, prevention of iatrogenic fistula is needed, requiring improved quality of maternal care.

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