Buderas—A Pastoralist Community of High Himalayan Society: Migration, Identity, Existence and Belief

Buderas are inhabitants of Gangi, Pinswar and Ginwali, three villages in Tehri district of Uttarakhand. They are basically grazers, who, at a certain point of time in history, migrated from Kashmir via Himachal Pradesh. The migration and settlement of Buderas is very interesting, being interwoven with the tale of their deity. They, in general, follow Hinduism, only in certain aspects but are specifically devoted to their deity Somesu or Samosa, as they call it. Somesu is the focal point of their life and society. In the present article, which is based on my field study of Gangi village in Tehri district of Garhwal, way back in 1999, the focus is on the rituals and worship related to Somesu for the well-being of the cattle folk of the Buderas. How they propitiate and please the deity for taking care of their cattle folk, while away in pastures for months and months, are focal points of the present article. The element of change and continuity in the performance of the rituals and religion is also highlighted in the this article.

Exploring community tuberculosis program in the pastoralist setting of Ethiopia: a qualitative study of community health workers’ perspectives in Borena Zone, Oromia Region

Background Pastoralist community accounts for a significant portion of the population in Ethiopia. This community is different from majority of the country’s population. Access to TB prevention and control services is uneven in the country. The community TB program is designed to improve the access. Exploring the program performance from the perspectives of its implemters in a pastoral setting remains important. Method We conducted a qualitative study using an interpretive description method in the pastoralist community setting of Ethiopia. Study participants were recruited from geographically dispersed areas. We collected data through in-depth interview using semi-structured interview guides and audio recordings during February 01–30, 2020. The guides were developed in consultation with TB program experts and clinicians treating TB patients in the study area. Notes were taken at the interviews to enrich transcription of the data. Principal investigator conducted the interview. The subsequent interviews were informed by emerging ideas from forgoing interview transcriptions and continued until data saturation was achieved. Results One hundred and fifty six codes, nine categories and three themes emanated. The first theme was inadequate community TB performance and some of its codes include inadequate presumptive TB case identification and compromised directly observed treatment short course service delivery. The second theme was factors contributing to the program performance. Community factors, lack of physical access to health facilities and indirect non-medical cost were some categories under this theme. The final theme was suggested solutions; and its categories include a need for active community involvement and modification of service delivery approaches. Conclusions Community TB performance was inadequate in the pastoralist community. Multifaceted factors contributed to the inadequate program performance. Socioeconomic and access related factors were major contributers. Aligning the program to the context of the pastoralist community setting is required to improve the performance.

Exploring Community Tuberculosis Program in the Pastoralist Setting of Ethiopia: a Qualitative Study of Community Health Workers' Perspectives in Borena Zone, Oromia Region

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top ten causes of death and thee first cause of death due to single infectious disease in the world. Nevertheless, access to TB prevention and control is not uniform even within a country, The community TB program is designed to improve the access in Ethiopia. Exploring the program performance from the perspectives of its implemters in a pastoral setting remains important.Method: We conducted a qualitative study using an interpretive description method in the pastoralist community setting of Ethiopia. Study participants were recruited from geographically dispersed areas. Data were collected through in-depth interview using semi-structured guides and audio recordings during February 01-30, 2020. The interview guide was developed based on consultation with TB program experts and clinicians treating TB patients in the study area. Notes were taken at the interview to enrich the transcription of the data. The interview was conducted by the principal investigator. The subsequent data collection was informed by emerging ideas from forgoing interview transcriptions. The interview continued until data saturation was achieved.Results: One hundred and fisty six codes, nine categories and three themes emanated. The first theme was an inadequate community TB performance and some of its codes include inadequate presumptive TB case identification and compromised DOTs service delivery. The second theme was factors contributing to the performance. Community factors, lack of physical access to health facilities and indirect non-medical cost are some of categories under this theme. The final theme was related to solutions and its categories include a need for active community involvement and modification of service delivery approaches.Conclusion:Community TB performance is inadequate in the pastoralist community and many factors contribute to the inadequate performance. Aligning the program to the context of the pastoralist community setting is required to improve the performance.

Performance characteristics and costs of serological tests for brucellosis in a pastoralist community of northern Tanzania

The control of brucellosis across sub-Saharan Africa is hampered by the lack of standardized testing and the use of tests with poor performance. This study evaluated the performance and costs of serological assays for human brucellosis in a pastoralist community in northern Tanzania. Serum collected from 218 febrile hospital patients was used to evaluate the performance of seven index tests, selected based on international recommendation or current use. We evaluated the Rose Bengal test (RBT) using two protocols, four commercial agglutination tests and a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, Youden’s index, diagnostic accuracy, and per-sample cost of each index test were estimated. The diagnostic accuracy estimates ranged from 95.9 to 97.7% for the RBT, 55.0 to 72.0% for the commercial plate tests, and 89.4% for the cELISA. The per-sample cost range was $0.69–$0.79 for the RBT, $1.03–$1.14 for the commercial plate tests, and $2.51 for the cELISA. The widely used commercial plate tests performed poorly and cost more than the RBT. These findings provide evidence for the public health value of discontinuing the use of commercial agglutination tests for human brucellosis in Tanzania.

High incidence of human brucellosis in a rural Pastoralist community in Kenya, 2015

Background Brucellosis occurs globally with highly variable incidence in humans from very low in North America and Western Europe to high in the Middle East and Asia. There are few data in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study estimated the incidence of human brucellosis in a pastoralist community in Kenya. Methods Between February 2015 and January 2016, we enrolled persons living in randomly selected households in Kajiado County. Free health care was offered at three facilities in the study area. Those who met the study clinical case definition completed a standardized questionnaire on demographics, clinical history and presentation. A blood sample was collected and tested by Rose Bengal test (RBT), then later tested at the Kenya Medical Research Institute laboratory for Brucella IgG and IgM by ELISA. Those who tested positive by both RBT and ELISA (IgG or IgM antibodies) were classified as confirmed while those that only tested positive for IgG or IgM antibodies were classified as probable. Further, sera were tested by polymerase chain reaction using a TaqMan Array Card (TAC) for a panel of pathogens causing AFI including Brucella spp. Annual incidence of brucellosis was calculated as the number of confirmed cases in one year/total number in the study population. Results We enrolled a cohort of 4746 persons in 804 households. Over half (52.3%) were males and the median age was 18 years (Interquartile range (IQR) 9 months– 32 years). A total of 236 patients were enrolled at three health facilities; 64% were females and the median age was 40.5 years (IQR 28–53 years). Thirty-nine (16.5%) were positive for Brucella antibodies by IgG ELISA, 5/236 (2.1%) by IgM ELISA and 4/236 (1.7%) by RBT. Ten percent (22/217) were positive by TAC. We confirmed four (1.7%) brucellosis cases giving an annual incidence of 84/100,000 persons/year (95% CI 82, 87). The incidence did not significantly vary by gender, age and location of residence. Conclusion We report a high incidence of brucellosis in humans among members of this pastoralist community. Brucellosis was the most common cause of febrile illness in this community.

Community Based Case Control Study on Effect of Nutrition Education Intervention on Predictors and Prevalence of Anaemia among Children aged 6 to 59 months in Pastoralist and Agro-Pastoralist community of Somali Region, Eastern Ethiopia

Background Anaemia is one of the major public health problems. It affects over 1.6 billion individuals of all age groups globally. Ethiopia is one of the seriously affected countries. Hence, the aim of this study is to assess the effect of nutrition education intervention (NEI) on anaemia prevalence and its predictors of preschool children in Pastoralist and Agro-pastoralist community of Somali Region, Eastern Ethiopia.Methods A group randomized controlled trial was conducted among 404 paired children 6–59 months to mothers/caregivers in two phases. A face-to-face interview for mothers/caregivers using a semi structured questionnaire and haemoglobin measurement of the children was done. The some procedure were repeated after eight months of NEI. Blood haemoglobin (Hb) level of the children were measured using Hemocue 301. SPSS version 20 was used, a chi-square test for categorical and t-test (independent and repeated paired) for continuous variables were performed.Results the overall anaemia prevalence was decreased from 72% at baseline and 51% at post intervention. The majority of this change had occurred in intervention group (79.3–44.8%). The mean Hb level score difference of the difference (DOD) were significantly improved (-1.163, p < 0.001) after NEI. While, intervention group showed significantly higher increment of Hb level (9.4 g/dl – 10.6 g/dl, p < 0.001).Conclusion The NEI has been observed effective and significantly improved the mean haemoglobin level and the anaemia prevalence in intervention group. Therefore, behaviour change communication, using religious leaders and other potential peoples advocating the use of locally available, accessible and affordable nutritious foods with proper infant and young child feeding and basic health services are highly effective to tackle the children’s anaemia status.

Community Based Case Control Study on Effect of Nutrition Education Intervention on Nutritional Status and Contributing Factors Among Under Five Children In Pastoralist And Agro-Pastoralist Community of Somali Region, Eastern Ethiopia.

Background: Undernutrition is most common public health problem in developing world. It is responsible for more than three million global deaths of under five children every year. Severe wasting and stunting are the major contributors of this problems. Hence, this study was designed to document the effect of nutrition education intervention (NEI) on nutritional status of the children in pastoralist and agro-pastoralist community of Somali regional state, Eastern Ethiopia.Methods: A group randomized controlled trial was carried out among 404 paired child to mothers/caregivers in two phases. A chi-square for categorical variables, t-test and for continuous variables were used. In addition, World Health Organization (WHO) AnthroPlus software were also used.Results: After NEI this has shown statistically significant improvement, in all three types of malnutrition compared to control. The malnutrition prevalence has been significantly decreased within the group from baseline to post intervention; wasting (19% to 9.4%, p = 0.005), underweight (18.5% to 7.4%, p= 0.029), and stunting (31.2% to 21.7%, p= 0.001). Whereas, the control group showed no significant difference (p >0.05) in all three types. The overall mean Z-score difference of the difference (DOD) of wasting and underweight between groups from pre and post intervention were shown better off, compared to control group, with mean DOD wasting of (-0.738, p <0.001) and underweight of (-0.615, p <0.001). But, this was not seen in stunting (-0.239, p >0.05).Conclusion: The NEI using behaviour change communication (BCC) showed promising outcome, and need to be further scaled up and adapted to other districts in the zone or other areas in the region.

The Mismeasurement of Cattle Ownership In Namibia's Northern Communal Areas

The standard approach to measuring livestock ownership in pastoralist communities relies on an assumption of uniformity that does not reflect the diverse concepts of ownership held by pastoralists themselves. In Namibia's Koakaveld Region, Himba and Herero pastoralist communities have a rich vocabulary for categorising the origins, usage rights and cultural valence of their cattle. Drawing on both authors' experience overseeing a large-scale rangeland management programme evaluation in Namibia's Northern Communal Areas – and one author's experience growing up in and keeping cattle in a Himba pastoralist community – we show how the standard approach to measuring cattle ownership undermines accurate estimates of livestock wealth, off-take and inequality, and obfuscates pastoralist's strategies for turning ecological variability to their advantage. We conclude with lessons about how multi-dimensional data collection methods improve upon the standard approach to livestock ownership measurements.