ABSTRACT The pressure on the wildlife in Lake Chilwa Biosphere Reserve (LCBR) has been increasing due to increase in population, illegal and unsustainable hunting practices. This has become a threat to sustainability of fish, birds and other wildlife species in LCBR. The broad objective of this study was to assess the status of poaching, its impacts and food security as one of the key drivers in LCBR in Malawi. The study employed a social survey research design. One hundred households were sa...
Sanitation is one of the issues that the world cares about lately because of its negative effects on the environment and society especially when it is discharged into rivers and seas without treatment where it affects the fish, agricultural and animal resources. In addition, waste water from hospitals contains many infectious and dangerous compounds, which must be properly treated and then disposed of within the sewerage network. The study aimed to address the problem of the sewage syst...
ABSTRACT The presence of toxic heavy metals such as Cr, Pb, Ni, As and Hg in foods constitute serious threat to the health of consumers, particularly humans. Continual consumption of foods with high level of toxic metals can lead to bioconcentration and bioaccumulation with long-term health implications. This study was carried out in Tsumeb, Grootfontein and Otavi local municipal areas in the Oshikoto region of Namibia. The focus was to assess the level, distribution and chemical mobilit...
ABSTRACT Introduction A determination of the phenotypic frequencies of blood group systems C, c, E, e and Kell among the Namibian blood donors and pregnant women and the prevalence of these antigens in Namibia was carried out. Two thousand nine hundred and eight six blood donor specimens and four hundred and eighty-four specimens from pregnant women were randomly selected for antigen characterisation. Donated specimens that were processed for grouping and Transfusion Transmissible Infections ...
ABSTRACT Background: Mycobacterium Tuberculosis commonly referred to as (TB) is still one of the major health concerns, with high prevalence globally as well as in Namibia. While significant progress has been achieved in the prevention and treatment services of TB in the country, including use of community-based service providers and community-based health workers, the number of relapse cases remained high. The study aimed at assessing the role of Community Based Service Providers in the prev...
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Group B streptococcus (GBS) naturally colonises the lower gastrointestinal and female genitourinary tract. It poses a great risk of morbidity and mortality to infants born to colonised mothers. It is highly implicated in maternal infections such as endometritis and chorioamnionitis as well as neonatal infections such as pneumonia, meningitis and septicaemia. It also causes stillbirths and miscarriages in colonised women. Group B streptococcus infection in neonates is class...
ABSTRACT Vehicle exhaust fumes emission, as one of leading major source among smoke producing air pollutants, was examined in this study. Nairobi, a mega-city with increasingly high levels of air pollution was studied with special emphasis on one of its roads, Waiyaki Highway. Objectives were to find if there is air pollution, air pollution effects growth and stress of plants. This road was investigated to gain scientific understanding of the effects of vehicle fumes on plants. Hotspots (ICEA...
ABSTRACT Land use changes, rapid population growth, poverty, climate change variability and lack of livelihoods diversification aggravate watershed degradation through inappropriate land use methods resulting to water scarcity, land and water pollution, and governance issues. Soil erosion and siltation has led to land denudation, habitat loss and farm lands losing their soil fertility and compromising food security. The main objective of the study was to find out how land use methods influenc...
ABSTRACT Global, regional and national production of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) has faced challenges of low yields and lack of crucial culture information. Farmers in Teso North Sub County recorded lower yields than expected in 2009 despite having been provided with inputs. Factors responsible for the low production had not been established and water quality was suspected to be among them. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of water quality on the growth of Nile Til...
Abstract Aquatic pollution by heavy metals remains a recurrent problem globally due to their persistence, toxicity and ability to accumulate in biological systems. This study investigated the pollution trend, ecological and public health risks associated with heavy metal pollution in the Lagos Lagoon as well as pattern of interaction among heavy metals that can be exploited for remediation of exposed aquatic organisms. Heavy metal content in surface water, sediment and biota were analyzed us...
ABSTRACT The ever increasing levels of electronic waste (e-waste) and limited capacities for disposal and recycling have worsened e-waste management considering only 10% of e-waste is properly managed globally. In developed countries, e-waste management is guided by extended producer responsibility frameworks that ensure e-waste collection and recycling through consumer participation whereas, in Asia and Africa e-waste is managed through inefficient solid waste systems resulting to degradatio...
ABSTRACT Global, regional and national production of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) has faced challenges of low yields and lack of crucial culture information. Farmers in Teso North Sub County recorded lower yields than expected in 2009 despite having been provided with inputs. Factors responsible for the low production had not been established and water quality was suspected to be among them. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of water quality on the growth of Nile Til...
ABSTRACT The honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) produces honey and cross pollinates plants for improved socioeconomic wellbeing. However its colony populations globally and locally have been declining. In Transmara West Sub-county, hive colonization and honey yields have been low, which is due to the decline in honeybee population believed to be caused by pesticides use and pests attack. Although their relative contributions are unknown, Beekeepers suspect pesticides use hold a key role in colony p...
ABSTRACT Quarry mining produces substantial dust amounts bearing an adverse effect on human health in several ways, mainly the respiratory system. Even though employers are obligated to protect their employees from occupational hazards, the quarry mining industry in Namibia has failed to honour that obligation. This study investigated quarry workers and the surrounding community’s exposure to dust as well as their risk of getting chronic respiratory diseases in the Erongo region of Namibia....
ABSTRACT Introduction Tuberculosis and diabetes mellitus are public health challenges globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) Global report on diabetes reiterated that diabetes is a well-known risk factor for tuberculosis (TB) and that diabetes is associated with poor tuberculosis treatment outcomes, while tuberculosis is linked with deteriorating glycemic control. Namibia is among the top 30 high TB burden countries in the world (WHO, 2016) and added to that is the increasing prevalenc...