scholarly journals Burden of Uterine Fibroids: An African Perspective, A Call for Action and Opportunity for Intervention

2019 ◽  
pp. 287-294
Author(s):  
Igboeli P ◽  
Walker W ◽  
McHugh A ◽  
Sultan A ◽  
Al-Hendy A
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Uterine Fibroids ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Medical Community ◽  
Preventable Risk Factor ◽  
Sub Saharan

Black women carry the burden of uterine fibroids, (AKA uterine leiomyomas), at a much higher rate than their racial counterparts. Thus, increasing awareness and discovering a solution to an endemic problem that plagues Sub-Saharan Africa is of critical importance, not only for the region itself, but also for the medical community globally. A collaborative, patient oriented, cost effective, and culturally sensitive approach must be at the forefront of this endeavor. While the exact pathogenesis of uterine fibroid development remains elusive, the racial disparity is well documented. Moreover, in the developed world, women are able to seek treatment through surgical and non-surgical means; however, sub-Saharan regions face their own challenges that, if not addressed, can ultimately extinguish the lives of many suffering women. Unfortunately, the literature is scarce on how to prevent fibroid development, which may be critical for women who do not have access to effective interventions. Recent research from our group and others has shown that vitamin D deficiency plays an important role in fibroid development and may be a preventable risk factor. Daily vitamin D supplementation is a low cost, effective intervention that could be implemented throughout the Sub-Saharan region. Similarly, education and increased awareness as to the nature and symptoms of uterine fibroids could improve the quality of life, remove negative social stigma, and reduce morbidity and mortality rates in women who seek medical care with advanced uterine fibroids.

Short-term Effects of Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation in Postmenopausal Hypertensive Patients in sub-Saharan Africa: A Double Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 59-64
Author(s):  
Chris Nadège Nganou-Gnindjio ◽  
Vicky Jocelyne Ama Moor ◽  
Constant Anatole Pieme ◽  
Guy Sadeu Wafeu ◽  
Ingrid Ngandjeu Kamtchoum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Hypertensive Patients ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Double Blinded

scholarly journals Qualitative performance and economic analysis of low cost solar fish driers in Sub-Saharan Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moshood Keke Mustapha ◽  
Abdulbashir Femi Salako ◽  
Sunmola Kayode Ademola ◽  
Ifeoluwa Abimbola Adefila
Keyword(s):  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Net Income ◽  
Mosquito Net ◽  
Black Stone ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Qualitative Performance ◽  
The University

Qualitative performance and economic analysis of five low cost solar driers were evaluated at the Zoology and Physics Laboratories of the University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria. The solar driers were constructed from mosquito net, plastic, aluminum and glass with black stone inserted in it. The driers were found to be better than the other driers because they are cheap, reliable, safe to use, easy to repair, well insulated, and cost effective. The solar driers are compact, efficient with drying of fish with lowest moisture content achieved within a few days and the dried products of good quality, with long shelf life, highly acceptable to consumers. The driers save man-hour, money, use renewable energy, with no operational or maintenance costs. The driers have a long life span, with net income to fisher folks very high and the payback time for the driers very low.  The adoption of the driers will contribute to the economy of rural populace in the developing countries where there is no electricity and the challenges of deforestation are becoming prominent. The improved low cost solar driers will ensure food safety and security and assist in combating climate change resulting from burning of wood and fossil fuel.

scholarly journals Vitamin D supplementation: a potential approach for COVID-19 therapeutics?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Arboleda ◽  
Silvio Urcuqui-Inchima
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Treatment Protocols ◽  
Viral Attachment

While coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, has turned into a very concerning threat for global economics and public health systems, huge efforts are currently developed to reduce devastating pandemic effects through vaccine or effective therapeutic strategy. Yet, clinical trials to test vaccines developed against SARS-CoV-2 may take several months. Given the lack of specific treatment protocols and the urgency to mitigate propagation, researchers are mainly focused in the repurposing of available drugs to develop quick and cost-effective preventive and therapeutic strategies to protect vulnerable populations such as children, health professionals and elderly people. A tentative alternative may be Vitamin D, a well-known immunomodulator that has shown potent antiviral features against several viruses, including respiratory viruses such as Influenza and coronaviruses. This hypothesis is based on the observations that vitamin D deficiency has been correlated with COVID19 severity and that vitamin D is a strong negative regulator of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the binding receptor of SARS-CoV-2. Thereafter, and in line with our previous work on dengue virus, we postulate that Vitamin D might attenuate SARS-CoV-2 infection by impairing viral attachment to target cells. Furthermore, we highlight the anti-inflammatory features of vitamin D-derived regulation via ACE2 receptor under lung injury models as a protective factor for the cytokine storm that fuels the severity of symptoms. Although this commentary is aimed to suggest a research pathway on COVID-19 pathogenesis, it also provides insights into the extent of conventional vitamin D supplementation as an accessible, quick and low-cost strategy to reduce infection and progression of the symptoms caused by SARS-CoV-2.

scholarly journals Positioning for success: building capacity in academic competencies for early-career researchers in sub-Saharan Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Merritt ◽  
H. Jack ◽  
W. Mangezi ◽  
D. Chibanda ◽  
M. Abas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Training Experience ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Academic Competencies ◽  
Sub Saharan

Background. Capacity building is essential in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to address the gap in skills to conduct and implement research. Capacity building must not only include scientific and technical knowledge, but also broader competencies, such as writing, disseminating research and achieving work–life balance. These skills are thought to promote long-term career success for researchers in high-income countries (HICs) but the availability of such training is limited in LMICs. Methods. This paper presents the contextualisation and implementation of the Academic Competencies Series (ACES). ACES is an early-career researcher development programme adapted from a UK university. Through consultation between HIC and LMIC partners, an innovative series of 10 workshops was designed covering themes of self-development, engagement and writing skills. ACES formed part of the African Mental Health Research Initiative (AMARI), a multi-national LMIC-led consortium to recruit, train, support and network early-career mental health researchers from four sub-Saharan African countries. Results. Of the 10 ACES modules, three were HIC-LMIC co-led, four led by HIC facilitators with LMIC training experience and three led by external consultants from HICs. Six workshops were delivered face to face and four by webinar. Course attendance was over 90% and the delivery cost was approximately US$4500 per researcher trained. Challenges of adaptation, attendance and technical issues are described for the first round of workshops. Conclusions. This paper indicates that a skills development series for early-career researchers can be contextualised and implemented in LMIC settings, and is feasible for co-delivery with local partners at relatively low cost.

scholarly journals The BabySaver: Design of a New Device for Neonatal Resuscitation at Birth with Intact Placental Circulation

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 526
Author(s):  
James Ditai ◽  
Aisling Barry ◽  
Kathy Burgoine ◽  
Anthony K. Mbonye ◽  
Julius N. Wandabwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Neonatal Resuscitation ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Skilled Birth Attendants ◽  
New Device ◽  
Birth Attendants ◽  
Premature Babies ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University

The initial bedside care of premature babies with an intact cord has been shown to reduce mortality; there is evidence that resuscitation of term babies with an intact cord may also improve outcomes. This process has been facilitated by the development of bedside resuscitation surfaces. These new devices are unaffordable, however, in most of sub-Saharan Africa, where 42% of the world’s 2.4 million annual newborn deaths occur. This paper describes the rationale and design of BabySaver, an innovative low-cost mobile resuscitation unit, which was developed iteratively over five years in a collaboration between the Sanyu Africa Research Institute (SAfRI) in Uganda and the University of Liverpool in the UK. The final BabySaver design comprises two compartments; a tray to provide a firm resuscitation surface, and a base to store resuscitation equipment. The design was formed while considering contextual factors, using the views of individual women from the community served by the local hospitals, medical staff, and skilled birth attendants in both Uganda and the UK.

scholarly journals Prevalence and Correlates of Vitamin D Deficiency among Young South African Infants: A Birth Cohort Study

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1500
Author(s):  
Jabulani R. Ncayiyana ◽  
Leonardo Martinez ◽  
Elizabeth Goddard ◽  
Landon Myer ◽  
Heather J. Zar
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Vitamin D Deficiency ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Young Infants

Early-life vitamin D deficiency is associated with adverse child health outcomes, but the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its correlates in infants remains underexplored, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its correlates among young infants in South Africa. This study included 744 infants, aged 6–10 weeks from the Drakenstein Child Health Study, a population-based birth cohort. Infants were categorized into distinct categories based on serum 25(OH)D concentration level including deficient (<50 nmol/L), insufficient (50–74 nmol/L), and sufficient (≥75 nmol/L). Using multivariable Tobit and logistic regression models, we examined the correlates of serum 25(OH)D3 levels. The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 81% (95% confidence intervals (CI]) 78–83). Multivariable regression analysis showed that serum 25(OH)D3 concentration was independently associated with study site, socioeconomic status, and sex. Birth in winter and breastfeeding were the strongest predictors of lower serum 25(OH)D3 concentration levels. Compared to non-breastfed children, children breastfed were at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency (AOR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.04–3.67) and breastfeeding for more than one month was associated with greater likelihood of vitamin D deficiency (AOR, 5.40; 95% CI, 2.37–12.32) and lower vitamin D concentrations (−16.22 nmol/L; 95% CI, −21.06, −11.39). Vitamin D deficiency in infants is ubiquitous, under-recognised, and strongly associated with season of birth and breastfeeding in this setting. Nutritional interventions with vitamin D supplementation in national health programs in low- and middle-income countries are urgently needed to improve early-life vitamin D status in infants.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Relationship with Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Fibromyalgia: a Systematic Review of the Literature

2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar M. E. Ali
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Vitamin D Deficiency ◽  
Patient Flow ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Therapeutic Benefit ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
And Control

Abstract Fibromyalgia is a debilitating chronic condition which poses a therapeutic challenge to the clinician. With a large backlog in patient flow subsequent to the COVID-19 pandemic and rising numbers of patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) presenting with fibromyalgia-like clinical features, there is an increasingly pressing need to identify broad cost-effective interventions. Low levels of vitamin D have previously been reported in patients with fibromyalgia, though any causative link has been difficult to establish. A systematic literature review on the association between vitamin D deficiency and fibromyalgia was performed examining retrospective evidence both for and against an association between vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and fibromyalgia and evaluating the therapeutic benefit from supplementation. A group of six studies were selected based on relevance, use of controls, quality of research and citations. Four primary studies assessing the prevalence of VDD in fibromyalgia patients versus controls were evaluated with a total 3,496 subjects. Three included females only and one larger study assessed males. Two (n = 313) concluded the presence of a statistically significant association, and two (n = 161) found none. Two randomised controlled trials assessing the effect of vitamin D supplementation in a total of 80 subjects found conflicting results, with pain reduction in one and none in the other. It is likely there exists an association between VDD deficiency and fibromyalgia in a large subset of patients, although establishing primary causation is difficult. There is a need for larger randomised controlled trial designs with more effective comparison with healthy subjects and control for confounding factors. Given VDD is a major problem in the general population, we recommend supplementation be recommended by healthcare professionals to fibromyalgia patients for the purpose of maintaining bone health given their potentially increased susceptibility to developing deficiency and its sequelae.

scholarly journals Inhibition of Ammonia and Hydrogen Sulphide Using Plant Waste Materials for Faecal Sludge Odour Control in Dry Sanitation Toilet Facilities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernice Mawumenyo Senanu ◽  
Patrick Boakye ◽  
Sampson Oduro-Kwarteng ◽  
Divine Damertey Sewu ◽  
Esi Awuah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rice Husk ◽  
Hydrogen Sulphide ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Open Defecation ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Sanitation Systems ◽  
S Peak ◽  
Faecal Sludge ◽  
Peak Value

Abstract On-site dry sanitation facilities, although cheaper than wet sanitation systems, suffer from high malodour and insect nuisance as well as poor aesthetics. The high odour deters users from utilizing dry sanitation toilet as an improved facility leading to over 20% open defecation in Sub-Saharan Africa. To address this malodour concern, this study first assessed odour levels, using hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and ammonia (NH3) as indicators, on two (2) dry sanitation facilities (T1 and T2). The potential of using biomass (sawdust, rice husk, moringa leaves, neem seeds), ash (coconut husk, cocoa husk) or biochar (sawdust, rice husk, bamboo) as biocovers to remove or suppress odour from fresh faecal sludge (FS) over a 12-day period was investigated. Results showed high odour levels, beyond and below the threshold limit for unpleasantness for humans on H2S (peak value: T1 = 3.17 ppm; T2 = 0.22 ppm > 0.05 ppm limit) and NH3 (peak value: T1 = 6.88 ppm; T2 = 3.16 ppm < 30 ppm limit), respectively. The biomasses exhibited low pH (acidic = 5-7) whereas the biochars and ashes had higher pHs (basic = 8-13). Acidic biocovers generally reduced NH3 emission significantly (12.5% to 64.8%) whereas basic biocovers were more effective at H2S emission reduction (80.9% to 96.2%). In terms of H2S and NH3 removal, sawdust biochar was the most effective biocover with odour abatement values of 96.2% and 74.7%, respectively. The results suggest that locally available waste plant-based materials, like sawdust, when converted to biochar can serve as a cost-effective and sustainable way to effectively combat odour-related issues associated with dry sanitation facilities to help stop open defecation.

scholarly journals Using a Network of Locally Developed Low Cost Particulate Matter Sensors for Land Use Regression Modeling of PM2.5 in Urban Uganda

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric S. Coker ◽  
Ssematimba Joel ◽  
Engineer Bainomugisha
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Land Use Regression ◽  
Sub Saharan

Background: There are major air pollution monitoring gaps in sub-Saharan Africa. Developing capacity in the region to conduct air monitoring in the region can help estimate exposure to air pollution for epidemiology research. The purpose of our study is to develop a land use regression (LUR) model using low-cost air quality sensors developed by a research group in Uganda (AirQo). Methods: Using these low-cost sensors, we collected continuous measurements of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) between May 1, 2019 and February 29, 2020 at 22 monitoring sites across urban municipalities of Uganda. We compared average monthly PM2.5 concentrations from the AirQo sensors with measurements from a BAM-1020 reference monitor operated at the US Embassy in Kampala. Monthly PM2.5 concentrations were used for LUR modeling. We used eight Machine Learning (ML) algorithms and ensemble modeling; using 10-fold cross validation and root mean squared error (RMSE) to evaluate model performance. Results: Monthly PM2.5 concentration was 60.2 &micro;g/m3 (IQR: 45.4-73.0 &micro;g/m3; median= 57.5 &micro;g/m3). For the ML LUR models, RMSE values ranged between 5.43 &micro;g/m3 - 15.43 &micro;g/m3 and explained between 28% and 92% of monthly PM2.5 variability. Generalized additive models explained the largest amount of PM2.5 variability (R2=0.92) and produced the lowest RMSE (5.43 &micro;g/m3) in the held-out test set. The most important predictors of monthly PM2.5 concentrations included monthly precipitation, major roadway density, population density, latitude, greenness, and percentage of households using solid fuels. Conclusion: To our knowledge, ours is the first study to model the spatial distribution of urban air pollution in sub-Saharan Africa using air monitors developed from the region itself. Non-parametric ML for LUR modeling performed with high accuracy for prediction of monthly PM2.5 levels. Our analysis suggests that locally produced low-cost air quality sensors can help build capacity to conduct air pollution epidemiology research in the region.

ASR FORUM: ENGAGING WITH AFRICAN INFORMAL ECONOMIES

2013 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 77-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Lyons ◽  
Alison Brown ◽  
Zhigang Li
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Informal Economy ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Socioeconomic Mobility ◽  
Informal Economies ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Economic Development Strategies

Abstract:This article analyzes the value chain for Chinese manufactured goods such as garments and textiles sold in sub-Saharan Africa. It explores the opportunities for Africans with small, private businesses in the export trade from China, the potential for long-term business development, and how strategies of engagement have changed over time. It finds that the value chains for low-cost goods vary. There is great diversity of entry levels and opportunities for socioeconomic mobility, and traders evolve diverse strategies to obtain and defend their position in the chain. These findings are discussed in terms of understandings of international value chains, the informal economy, and African economic development strategies.

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