http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/35549 Sat, 25 May 2013 10:16:39 GMT 2013-05-25T10:16:39Z http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50575 Title: Assessment of research needs for public health adaptation to social, environmental and climate change impacts on vector-borne diseases in Africa : an informal expert consultation convened by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) Authors: World Health Organization; Thomson, Madeleine; Mantilla, Gilma; Platzer, Barbara; Willingham, Arve Lee Abstract: Control strategies for vector--‐borne diseases (VBD) are a pillar of public health policies. Potential impacts of VBD-¬‐related risks reflect environmental exposure as well as social vulnerabilities, both of which are sensitive to climatic conditions. The existing evidence suggests that climate change impacts will substantially increase burdens on those populations that are already vulnerable to climate extremes, such as those of the African continent. Climate change in Africa induces multiple threats to development and the social dimensions of climate change are, therefore, increasingly highlighted on the development agenda. This is of particular significance for drylands in sub-¬‐Saharan Africa, in which water-¬‐related VBD are a significant disease burden while these areas are, at the same time, particularly poor, food insecure, ecologically fragile and socially vulnerable. The gap in knowledge about the relationships between social and economic vulnerabilities and environmental hazards linked to VBD in a context of climatic change, and the even larger gap in policy options for addressing the situation, have been identified by African ministers of health and environment, and technical experts internationally, as serious obstacles to evidence-¬‐based health policy change. Capacities need to be strengthened for generating, interpreting and using socio-¬‐ economic, environmental, meteorological and other climate information that could guide VBD prevention and control strategies and improve the ability of African countries to adapt to and reduce the effects of these changes in ways that benefit the most vulnerable populations. Trans--‐disciplinary research-¬‐for-¬‐policy frameworks for improved VBD risk management need to be developed that can sustainably improve the resilience of African populations to such VBD-¬‐related health threats under climate change conditions. An informal expert consultation was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 27-¬‐29 February 2012 to engage key stakeholders from the region in discussions to reach consensus on the most important research gaps and identify priorities in the African context for assessing impacts of interrelated social, environmental and climate changes on the relevant VBD burden of vulnerable populations as well as for developing and testing practical strategies for mitigating these impacts through adaptation. Description: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia February 27-29, 2012 Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50575 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50321 Title: Biodiversity of African vegetables Authors: Maundu, Patrick; Achigan-Dako, Enoch; Morimoto, Yasuyuki Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50321 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50257 Title: Trans-disciplinary study on the health risks of cryptosporidiosis from dairy systems in Dagoretti, Nairobi, Kenya : study background and farming system characteristics Authors: Kang’ethe, Erastus K.; Kimani, Violet N.; McDermott, Brigid; Grace, Delia; Lang’at, Alfred K. Abstract: This paper characterises the dairy farming system in Dagoretti, Nairobi. Characterisation was part of a broader ecohealth project to estimate the prevalence and risk of cryptosporidiosis and develop risk mitigation strategies. In the project a trans-disciplinary team addressed epidemiological, socioeconomic, environmental and policy aspects of cryptosporidiosis, an emerging zoonosis. This paper also provides background and describes sampling methods for the wider project. Three hundred dairy households were probabilistically sampled from a sampling frame of all dairy households in five of the six locations of Dagoretti, one of the eight districts of Nairobi Province. Randomly selected households identified 100 non-dairy-keeping households who also took part in the study. A household questionnaire was developed, pre-tested and administered in the dry and wet seasons of 2006. An additional study on livelihood and economic benefits of dairying took place with 100 dairy farmers randomly selected from the 300 farms (as well as 40 non-dairy neighbours as a control group), and a risktargeted survey of environmental contamination with Cryptosporidium was conducted with 20 farmers randomly selected from the 29 farmers in the wider survey who were considered at high risk because of farming system. We found that around 1 in 80 urban households kept dairy cattle with an average of three cattle per household. Cross-breeds of exotic and local cattle predominate. Heads of dairykeeping households were significantly less educated than the heads of non-dairy neighbours, had lived in Dagoretti for significantly longer and had significantly larger households. There was a high turnover of 10 % of the cattle population in the 3-month period of the study. Cattle were zero grazed, but productivity parameters were sub-optimal as were hygiene and husbandry practices. In conclusion, dairy keeping is a minor activity in urban Nairobi but important to households involved and their community. Ecohealth approaches are well suited to tackling the complex problem of assessing and managing emerging zoonoses in urban settings. Description: This paper is part of a special supplement on assessing and managing urban zoonoses and food-borne disease in two African cities (Nairobi, Kenya and Ibadan, Nigeria). Sat, 11 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50257 2012-08-11T00:00:00Z http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50256 Title: Social and gender determinants of risk of cryptosporidiosis, an emerging zoonosis, in Dagoretti, Nairobi, Kenya Authors: Kimani, Violet N.; Mitoko, Grace; McDermott, Brigid; Grace, Delia; Ambia, Julie Abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate the social and gender determinants of the risk of exposure to Cryptosporidium fromurban dairying in Dagoretti, Nairobi. Focus group discussions were held in six locations to obtain qualitative information on risk of exposure. A repeated cross-sectional descriptive study included participatory assessment and household questionnaires (300 randomly selected urban dairy farming households and 100 non-dairying neighbours). Onehundred dairy households randomly selected from the 300 dairy households participated in an additional economic survey along with 40 neighbouring non-dairy households. We found that exposure to Cryptosporidium was influenced by gender, age and role in the household. Farm workers and people aged 50 to 65 years had most contact with cattle, and women had greater contact with raw milk. However, children had relatively higher consumption of raw milk than other age groups. Adult women had more daily contact with cattle faeces than adult men, and older women had more contact than older men. Employees had greater contact with cattle than other groups and cattle faeces, and most (77 %) were male. Women took more care of sick people and were more at risk from exposure by this route. Poverty did not affect the level of exposure to cattle but did decrease consumption of milk. There was no significant difference between men and women as regards levels of knowledge on symptoms of cryptosporidiosis infections or other zoonotic diseases associated with dairy farming. Awareness of cryptosporidiosis and its transmission increased significantly with rising levels of education. Members of nondairy households and children under the age of 12 years had significantly higher odds of reporting diarrhoea: gender, season and contact with cattle or cattle dung were not significantly linked with diarrhoea. In conclusion, social and gender factors are important determinants of exposure to zoonotic disease in Nairobi. Description: This paper is part of a special supplement on assessing and managing urban zoonoses and food-borne disease in two African cities (Nairobi, Kenya and Ibadan, Nigeria). Sun, 05 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50256 2012-08-05T00:00:00Z http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50255 Title: Prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in dairy cattle, cattle-keeping families, their non-cattle-keeping neighbours and HIV-positive individuals in Dagoretti Division, Nairobi, Kenya Authors: Kange’the, Erastus; McDermott, Brigid; Grace, Delia; Mbae, Cecilia; Mulinge, Erastus Abstract: This paper reports a study estimating the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis, an emerging zoonosis, in people and cattle in Dagoretti, Nairobi. A repeated cross-sectional survey was carried out among randomly selected cattle keepers in Dagoretti, their dairy cattle and their non-cattle-keeping neighbours in the dry and wet seasons of 2006. A survey was also carried out among a group of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Faecal samples were examined for Cryptosporidium oocysts using the modified Ziehl–Neelsen method; 16 % of the samples were also examined using immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) technique. Quality control consisted of blind reviews of slides, examining split samples and confirming slide results with IFA. We found that members of dairy households had a dry season cryptosporidiosis prevalence of 4 % and wet season prevalence of 0.3 %, and non-dairy households, a prevalence of 5 and 0 %, respectively. The cattle dry season prevalence was 15 %, and the wet season prevalence, 11 %. The prevalence in people living with HIV was 5 %. The laboratory quality control system showed some inconsistency within and between different tests, indicating challenges in obtaining consistent results under difficult field and working conditions. In conclusion, this is the first reported study to simultaneously survey livestock, livestock keepers and their neighbours for cryptosporidiosis. We failed to find evidence that zoonotic cryptosporidiosis is important overall in this community. This study also draws attention to the importance of quality control and its reporting in surveys in developing countries. Description: This paper is part of a special supplement on assessing and managing urban zoonoses and food-borne disease in two African cities (Nairobi, Kenya and Ibadan, Nigeria). Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50255 2012-08-10T00:00:00Z