scholarly journals Critical SWOT analysis of fresh fruit handling practices by traders in Uganda’s Capital City. A rapid cross-sectional study

Author(s):  
Suzan Nakayiza ◽  
Abel Wilson Walekhwa ◽  
Gabriel Tumwine ◽  
James Muleme ◽  
Angella Musewa

Abstract Poor fruit handling practices causes physical damage to fruits and exposes them to pathogenic microbial contamination with Salmonella spp, E. coli and Vibrio spp. These contribute to food borne illnesses such as Salmonellosis, Shigellosis, Cholera, E. coli O157:H7 infection Campylobacteriosis among others. An estimated 14 percent of all diseases registered at health centers are food borne related in Uganda making this a public health concern. The economic burden of foodborne diseases was estimated at about 300 million United States Dollars in 2016. A rapid cross-sectional study was conducted using a SWOT framework to understand the fruit handling practices by traders in one of the markets in Uganda’s Capital City (Kampala). Our study showed that there existed some strengths such as Presence of an established market leadership and presence of organized registered and unregistered trade and social groups. Furthermore, there existed weaknesses that needed immediate attention such as (a) lack of clean water, (b) selling fruits on dirty market floor which exposes consumers to contaminated fruits, (c) disposal of spoilt fruits in open waste areas contaminates the soil, clogs drainage channels, creates a bad smell in the market and attracts rodents to feed on disposed fruits. We therefore recommend, establishing a ‘One Health’ market task force made up of traders, suppliers, farmers, consumers, local council, public health scientists and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) that can work with Ministry of Local Governments and Ministry of Health to train traders to implement appropriate fruit handling practices as detailed in KCCA market laws. The One Health task force can work with Ministry of Science and Technology to design and develop tools such as insulated fruit crates, raised fruit stands, and closed waste bins that could be used by market traders to improve fruit hygiene practices. The One health market taskforce will be in position to link with private international organizations such WASH international to draft proposals to provision for free clean water for the market which could improve fruit hygiene and market sanitation.

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ceren Varer Akpinar ◽  
Seyfi Durmaz

Abstract Objectives One Health approach to health considers human, animal, and ecosystem health as a whole and advocates cooperation across disciplines to reach the highest level of health. The aim of the study is to determine the attitudes of the medical interns’ toward the One Health approach and to evaluate related factors. Methods This cross-sectional study targeted all interns of the Faculty of Medicine of 2019–2020 academic year (n=356). Sociodemographic characteristics, health status, habits, and attitudes toward One Health were asked in the questionnaire, which was created by the researchers using the literature. The study data were collected based on self-report during occupational health and safety training, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were also performed. Results The study group included a fair gender distribution (47.8% female), and the average age was 23.6 ± 1.2. Out of the 316 participants, 40.2% had not heard the One Health concept before. In total, 85.4% of them declared a positive attitude toward the concept. The probability of high attitude was found to be 5.03 times (95% CI 1.10–23.12) higher in those with above-average success status and 4.08 times (95% CI 1.15–14.52) higher in those who had kept animals. In students’ responses to the attitude questionnaire items, the epidemic sub-dimension had the highest level as 86.1%, and the antibiotic resistance sub-dimension had the lowest level as 77.2%. Conclusions The current study revealed that the awareness on One Health concept among medical interns is limited, however, students’ attitudes are positive. Recent SARS-CoV 2 pandemic showed us the urgent need for proper implementation of’ One Health approach in the medical education curriculum. Meanwhile, One Health focused courses should be introduced into the curriculum of final year medicine and related programs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 150-157
Author(s):  
S.I. Ijoma ◽  
E.R. Agusi ◽  
V.I. Ifende ◽  
O.H. Osemeke ◽  
V.T. Columba

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has a devastating impact on the economy especially the poultry industry and it jeopardizes food security and public health. The disease which was first reported in Nigeria in 2006, re-occurred in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. Inspite of the efforts the federal government has put into eradicating Avian Influenza in the country, the re-occurrence of the disease points to challenges of control efforts by stakeholders. Biosecurity challenges confronting poultry farmers and live bird market operators were implicated in new outbreaks and spread of HPAI. A cross-sectional study was carried out by administering open ended questionnaires to poultry farmers and live bird marketers in 12 States that shared boundaries with States affected by HPAI in 2019. Using the thematic style of qualitative analysis and MS Excel 2016, data and information with common denominators and pattern were collated and grouped. The One Health approach was adopted for this study. This was achieved by evaluating the knowledge of the stakeholders on the spread of Avian Influenza (AI), the biosecurity challenges they faced, their recommended solutions and new preventive or control measures they were willing to implement in order to achieve biosecurity against AI outbreak. The live bird marketers' responses showed their major challenge to be poor commitment to implementing already known biosecurity rules (22%), followed by unavailability of funds (13%) and sanitation problems. The poultry farmers struggled with lack of funds for maintenance (32%), and lack of compliance to biosecurity by farm attendants (24%). Both groups jointly recommended alleviating strategies such as the improvement of stakeholder education, supportive financing and the strengthening of animal health legislations. These new insights would benefit the formulation and implementing effective probiosecurity strategies for the control of avian influenza. Keywords: Avian influenza, biosecurity, one health, poultry farms, Nigeria


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diriba Taddese ◽  
Eshetu Shumi ◽  
Mestewot Asefa

Abstract Objectives Food borne diseases are one of the main important issues in the world. Escherichia coli are considered as the most prevalent food borne pathogen. A cross sectional study was conducted from January 6- 2018 to September 10-2019 on cloacae swab; farm and market’s egg at Jimma town to isolate, identify and determine antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Result Out of 415 total samples, 156 (37.59%) were identified as E. coli from farm eggshell 21/83 (25.30%), farm egg content 12/83 (14.46%), cloacae swab 42/83 (50.60%) and market egg shell 45/83 (54.23%). In the current study antimicrobial susceptibility test of E. coli isolates from different sample types revealed varying degree of susceptibility to antimicrobial. Isolated E. coli was highly susceptible to Ciprofloxacin (100%), Gentamicine (100%), Streptomycin ( 96.4% ) , sulfonamides (94%), Kanamycin (91%), Chloramphenicol ( 89.5% ) , tetraccine (78.9%) , Trimethoprim (75%) these are considered appropriate for empirical treatment of E. coli in the study area. Moreover, resistance of isolates with 100%, 75% 50%, 25%, 1.6% and 0.5% was developed to ampicillin, neomycin, cefoxitin oxytetracycline , Streptomycin and tetraccine respectively. The presence of E.coli within egg/and chicken can pose serious public health problems. The appropriate hygienic practices of eggs at both farms and markets should be under taken.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satesh Bidaisee ◽  
Calum N. L. Macpherson

Background. One health is a concept that was officially adopted by international organizations and scholarly bodies in 1984. It is the notion of combining human, animal, and environmental components to address global health challenges that have an ecological interconnectedness.Methods. A cross-sectional study of the available literature cited was conducted from January 1984 when the one health concept was adopted till December 2012 to examine the role of the one health approach towards zoonoses. Inclusion criteria included publications, professional presentations, funding allocations, official documentation books, and book chapters, and exclusion criteria included those citations written outside the period of review.Results. A total of 737 resources met the inclusion criteria and were considered in this review. Resources showed a continuous upward trend for the years from 2006 to 2012. The predominant resources were journal publications with environmental health as the significant scope focus for one health. There was also an emphasis on the distribution of the work from developed countries. All categories of years, resources, scopes, and country locale differed from the means (P=0.000). Year of initiative, scope, and country locale showed a dependent relationship (P=0.022,P=0.003, andP=0.021, resp.).Conclusion. Our findings demonstrate the rapid growth in embracing the concept of one health, particularly in developed countries over the past six years. The advantages and benefits of this approach in tackling zoonoses are manifold, yet they are still not seemingly being embraced in developing countries where zoonoses have the greatest impact.


2016 ◽  
Vol 86 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 242-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genc Burazeri ◽  
Jolanda Hyska ◽  
Iris Mone ◽  
Enver Roshi

Abstract.Aim: To assess the association of breakfast skipping with overweight and obesity among children in Albania, a post-communist country in the Western Balkans, which is undergoing a long and difficult political and socioeconomic transition towards a market-oriented economy. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional study was carried out in Albania in 2013 including a representative sample of 5810 children aged 7.0 – 9.9 years (49.5% girls aged 8.4 ± 0.6 years and 51.5% boys aged 8.5 ± 0.6 years; overall response rate: 97%). Children were measured for height and weight, and body mass index (BMI) calculated. Cut-off BMI values of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) were used to define overweight and obesity in children. Demographic data were also collected. Results: Upon adjustment for age, sex, and place of residence, breakfast skipping was positively related to obesity (WHO criteria: OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.3–1.9; IOTF criteria: OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.4–2.5), but not overweight (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.9–1.3 and OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.9–1.4, respectively). Furthermore, breakfast skipping was associated with a higher BMI (multivariable-adjusted OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.02–1.07). Conclusions: Our findings point to a strong and consistent positive relationship between breakfast skipping and obesity, but not overweight, among children in this transitional southeastern European population. Future studies in Albania and other transitional settings should prospectively examine the causal role of breakfast skipping in the development of overweight and obesity.


2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Vierhaus ◽  
Arnold Lohaus ◽  
Indra Shah

This investigation focuses on the question whether assessments of the development of internalizing behavior from childhood to adolescence are affected by the kind of research design (longitudinal versus cross-sectional). Two longitudinal samples of 432 second-graders and 366 fourth graders participated in a longitudinal study with subsequent measurements taken 1, 2, and 3 years later. A third sample consisting of 849 children covering the same range of grades participated in a cross-sectional study. The results show that the development of internalizing symptoms in girls – but not in boys – varies systematically with the research design. In girls, there is a decrease of internalizing symptoms (especially between the first two timepoints) in the longitudinal assessment, which may reflect, for example, the influence of strain during the first testing situation. Both longitudinal trajectories converge to a common trajectory from grade 2 to grade 7 when controlling for this “novelty-distress effect.” Moreover, when we control this effect, the slight but significant decrease characterizing the common trajectory becomes similar to the one obtained in the cross-sectional study. Therefore, trajectories based on longitudinal assessments may suggest more changes with regard to internalizing symptoms over time than actually take place, while trajectories based on cross-sectional data may be characterized by an increased level of internalizing symptoms. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.


1997 ◽  
Vol 35 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 35-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Genthe ◽  
N. Strauss ◽  
J. Seager ◽  
C. Vundule ◽  
F. Maforah ◽  
...  

Efforts to provide water to developing communities in South Africa have resulted in various types of water supplies being used. This study examined the relationship between the type of water supply and the quality of water used. Source (communal taps, private outdoor and indoor taps) and point-of-use water samples were examined for heterotrophic plate counts (HPC), total and faecal coliforms, E. coli, and coliphages. Ten percent of samples were also analysed for enteric viruses, Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Approximately 320 households were included in a case-control study. In addition, a cross-sectional study was conducted. Both studies examined the relationship between different types of water facilities and diarrhoea among pre-school children. The source water was of good microbial quality, but water quality was found to have deteriorated significantly after handling and storage in both case and control households, exceeding drinking water quality guideline values by 1-6 orders of magnitude. Coliphage counts were low for all water samples tested. Enteric viruses and Cryptosporidium oocysts were not detected. Giardia cysts were detected on one occasion in case and control in-house samples. Comparisons of whether in-house water, after handling and storage, complied with water quality guideline values demonstrated households using communal taps to have significantly poorer quality than households using private outdoor or indoor taps for HPC and E. coli (χ2 = 14.9, P = 0.001; χ2 = 6.6, P = 0.04 respectively). A similar trend (although not statistically significant) was observed for the other microbial indicators. The cross-sectional study demonstrated an apparent decrease in health risk associated with private outdoor taps in comparison to communal taps. This study suggests that a private outdoor tap is the minimum level of water supply in order to ensure the supply of safe water to developing communities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shweta R Singh ◽  
Bunsoth Mao ◽  
Konstantin Evdokimov ◽  
Pisey Tan ◽  
Phana Leab ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The rising incidence of infections caused by MDR organisms (MDROs) poses a significant public health threat. However, little has been reported regarding community MDRO carriage in low- and middle-income countries. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in Siem Reap, Cambodia comparing hospital-associated households, in which an index child (age: 2–14 years) had been hospitalized for at least 48 h in the preceding 2–4 weeks, with matched community households on the same street, in which no other child had a recent history of hospitalization. Participants were interviewed using a survey questionnaire and tested for carriage of MRSA, ESBL-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) by culture followed by antibiotic susceptibility testing. We used logistic regression analysis to analyse associations between collected variables and MDRO carriage. Results Forty-two pairs of households including 376 participants with 376 nasal swabs and 290 stool specimens were included in final analysis. MRSA was isolated from 26 specimens (6.9%). ESBL-producing Escherichia coli was detected in 269 specimens (92.8%) whereas ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated from 128 specimens (44.1%), of which 123 (42.4%) were co-colonized with ESBL-producing E. coli. Six (2.1%) specimens tested positive for CPE (4 E. coli and 2 K. pneumoniae). The prevalence ratios for MRSA, ESBL-producing E. coli and ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae carriage did not differ significantly in hospital-associated households and hospitalized children compared with their counterparts. Conclusions The high prevalence of ESBL-E across both household types suggests that MDRO reservoirs are common in the community. Ongoing genomic analyses will help to understand the epidemiology and course of MDRO spread.


Author(s):  
Ruoliang Tang ◽  
Jay M. Kapellusch ◽  
Andrew S. Merryweather ◽  
Matthew S. Thiese ◽  
Kurt T. Hegmann ◽  
...  

Low back pain (LBP) is a common health problem and a major cause of lost productivity in workplaces. Manual materials handling (MMH) jobs have traditionally been regarded as risk factor for LBP. Compared to two-handed lifting, one-handed lifting has received little attention in both epidemiological and biomechanical research. In addition, one frequent complaint of the revised NIOSH lifting equation (RNLE) has been the lack of capability to directly evaluate one-handed lifting. Modifications have been proposed by the European Union, however their efficacy and influence have not yet been evaluated. This cross-sectional study provided objective survey of the MMH jobs, especially the one-handed lifting performed in manufacturing industry and investigated the outcomes of three proposed methods to address one-handed lifting using RNLE approach. Preliminary results suggest that workers with some one-handed lifting are associated with higher physical exposure. However, the increase was more significant among those who perform primarily one-handed lifting.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 250
Author(s):  
Tilak Chandra Nath ◽  
Keeseon S. Eom ◽  
Seongjun Choe ◽  
Shahadat Hm ◽  
Saiful Islam ◽  
...  

Introduction: Endoparasites in captive wildlife might pose a threat to public health; however, very few studies have been conducted on this issue, and much remains to be learned, especially in limited-resource settings. This study aimed to investigate endoparasites of captive wildlife in Bangladesh. Perception and understanding of veterinarians regarding one health and zoonoses were also assessed. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2019 to August 2020. A total of 45 fecal samples from 18 different species of wild animals (i.e., 11 species of mammals: herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores, six birds, and a single reptile species) were collected randomly. Parasitological assessments were done by modified formalin ether sedimentation technique and rechecked by Sheather’s sugar floatation technique. Molecular identification of Spirometra spp. was conducted by amplifying the cytochrome c oxidase 1 (cox1) gene. Questionnaire surveys among 15 veterinarians and an in-depth interview (IDI) with a zoo officer were conducted. Results: Helminths (Spirometra sp., Capillaria sp., Ascaridia/Heterakis, opisthorchiid, strongyles, acuariid, hookworms, roundworms, and unidentified nematode larvae) and protozoa (coccidian oocyst) were identified, and the overall prevalence was 48.9% (22/45). The cox1 sequences (341 bp) of the Bangladesh-origin Spirometra species from lion showed 99.3–99.7% similarity to the reference sequences of Spirometra decipiens (GenBank No: KJ599679.1; MT122766). The majority of study participants (86.6%) agreed about the importance of endoparasite control in zoo animals, and 73.3% expressed that the one health concept should be promoted in Bangladesh. Only 6.7% of veterinarians perceived confidence in diagnosing parasitic diseases and preventing antiparasiticidal resistance. Conclusions: In the present survey, we found a considerable prevalence of endoparasites in captive wildlife. For the first time, zoonotically important S. decipiens from lion was molecularly characterized in Bangladesh. Veterinarian training is required to improve parasite control knowledge and practice. This study highlights the need for routine parasitological assessment, promotion of one health, and improvement of the implementation of current parasite control strategies in zoo animals.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document