Block In Tamil Nadu Research Articles

Macronutrients and their associated bacterial genera in the soils of Anaimalai block in Tamil Nadu for sustainable vegetable crops cultivation

Meticulous analysis on intertwined interaction among the soil nutrients and microbial communities brings fruitful outcomes on horticulture. This study focuses on identifying well compatible bacterial genera in enhancing soil primary macro-nutrients for sustainable vegetable crops cultivation. The biochemical tests were executed for identification of bacterial genera. Eventually, mathematical models among available NPK nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) and identified bacterial genera were derived to determine most suited bacterial genus for nutrients inhibition. This Study reveals the present nutrient’s status of soils at Anaimalai block covering 12,424 ha of Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu. Seven utilitarian bacterial genera were identified which inhibit the plant nutrients. Among them, Azotobacter, Arthrobacter and Achromobacter actively inhibit available NPK in the soil. Present study of correlating soil nutrients with bacterial components enriches successful conservation of biosphere through adopting these innovative technologies in horticulture.

Geospatial Status of Available Potassium and Sulphur in Low Base Status Soils

Aim: This study aims to analyse the required parameters to determine the availability of potassium and sulphur in red soils representing low base status soils of Sivagangai block of Sivagangai district, Tamil Nadu.
 Study Design: Survey.
 Place and Duration of Study: Survey was conducted at Sivagangai block of Sivagangai district, representing the red soils of Tamil Nadu during the winter season of 2021.
 Methodology: Geo-referenced surface soil samples representing one hundred red soils were collected from the plough layer (0 to 30 cm depth) at an estimated frequency of 1 km grid over the red soils of Sivaganga block in Tamil Nadu's Sivagangai district using a handheld global positioning system (GPS). The collected samples were processed and analysed for the necessary parameters and based on that data thematic maps were created by kriging the fertility status and then exhibiting the relevant legends.
 Result: The physico chemical properties of soils indicated that soils were strongly acidic to acidic in soil reaction, non - saline and low in organic carbon content. The available potassium content of the Sivagangai block ranged from 101 kg ha-1 to 260.5 kg ha-1 with a mean value of 179.4 kg ha-1. When categorised 26 per cent of samples were found low in available potassium content and the remaining 74 per cent of samples were medium. Soil available sulphur status in this block ranged from 3.10 mg kg-1 to 18.20 mg kg-1 with a mean value of 10.65 mg kg-1 indicating that 59 per cent of soil samples were found low in available sulphur status, 39 per cent of soil samples were medium status and 2 per cent of soil samples were under high status.
 Conclusion: Using the geocoordinates, thematic maps for all the parameters were prepared, which indicated that the major area of the block was acidic in soil reaction, non-saline, low in organic carbon, low in free calcium carbonate, low to medium in available potassium and low in available sulphur. These maps will be useful in constructing homogenous units and assist farmers in determining the quantity and kind of potassium and sulphur fertiliser to be applied in order to optimize economic returns based on site-specific nutrient management.

Perinatal Mortality and its Causes in a Rural Block in Tamil Nadu, Southern India: A Community-Based Nonconcurrent Cohort Study.

Background:Globally, over 130 million babies are born every year, and almost 8 million die before their first birthday. Data on perinatal mortality (PM) and its various causes are lacking in many parts of the world including India.Objectives:This study aimed to estimate stillbirth (SB), early neonatal, and PM rates and its causes over the last decade in a rural development block, India.Materials and Methods:This is a nonconcurrent cohort study, analyzing the births, SBs, and early neonatal deaths between January 2008 and December 2017. The World Health Organization-PM classification was used to allocate causes of death as well as maternal risk factors. Birth weights were classified using standard growth charts.Results:There were 20,704 births after 28 weeks gestation and where the fetus weighed more than 1000 g of which 285 were SBs. There were 20,419 live births with 229 early neonatal deaths. There was a significant decline in PM rate from 32 per 1000 to 11 per 1000. There was a decrease in the small for gestational age fetuses from 20% to 12.5%. The main cause for SBs was antepartum hypoxia (34.4%) and fetal growth disorders (26.3%). Complications of intrapartum events contributed to 32.8% of the early neonatal deaths.Conclusion:Steady decline in PM rate and in the number of small for gestational age fetuses over 10 years was seen. Pregnancy registration and follow-up help in giving us a better understanding of the causes of PM.

Frontline community health care workers’ intervention for diabetes management in resource limited settings: a qualitative study on perspectives of key stakeholders

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global public health concern, with significant increase in the transitioning low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), such as India, with limited resources and poor health care systems. Recognising the need for innovative, feasible, targeted interventions for diabetes care, a non-randomized, controlled, phase II clinical trial was conducted in a rural revenue block in Tamil Nadu, India. This pilot trial tested the non-inferiority of the trained community health workers (CHWs) in delivering education, screening for diabetes complications using a protocol-based referral for physician consultation for management, assisted by an android application (App) for patient tracking. Understanding the perceptions of key stakeholders including patients and health workers is crucial for upscaling and sustaining these novel interventions for diabetes care. This study explored the perspectives and views of patients with DM and diabetes CHWs who participated in the pilot trial. Methods Using qualitative research methodology, individual in-depth interviews were conducted in the local vernacular (Tamil) language among the two diabetes CHWs and purposively chosen 24 patients until the data saturation was reached. Participant information sheets, consent forms and a detailed topic guide were developed. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, translated into English and thematic analysis was conducted. Results Five main themes emerged during interviews with diabetes CHWs: deeper understanding of the disease; belonging and strengthening; ease of use of digital technology and a timesaver for patient tracking; cultural sensitivity; stigma and change in attitudes over time. Interviews with patients highlighted four major themes: convenience; cost reduction; improved knowledge and perceptions on health. Benefits were perceived by both patients and diabetes CHWs, in the domains of convenience, access, cost and knowledge. Perceptions of changes in health were mixed with room for improvement in the digital App. Conclusions Training CHWs in resource limited settings in supporting community diabetes care, assisted by digital technology for tracking is acceptable to the patients and will help shift the care pathway for Diabetes closer to the patients in a rural setting. This qualitative study identified a number of areas for improvement and potential barriers that will need to be addressed prior to scaling up in similar resource constrained settings.

Estimation of Site-specific Crop Coefficients for Major Crops of Lalgudi Block in Tamil Nadu using Remote Sensing based Algorithms

Crop coefficient (Kc) is an important parameter in estimating the crop water requirements during different crop growth stages. The Kc values for a particular crop are highly site- and region-specific, and needs to be precisely determined for each agro-climatic region for better irrigation scheduling and improved water and crop productivity. The site-specific crop coefficients for paddy, sugarcane, and banana cultivated in Lalgudi block, Tiruchirapalli district, Tamil Nadu, India, were estimated using two remote sensing-based methods viz. NDVI-Kc linear regression technique and SEBAL actual evapotranspiration to reference evapotranspiration ratio approach (SEBAL-Kc). The Kc values obtained by remote sensing methods were compared with FAO-56 Adjusted Kc (ClimAdj-Kc) for local climatic conditions and FAO-56 tabulated reference Kc values (FAOTab-Kc). Regression analysis revealed a good agreement between NDVI-Kc and ClimAdj-Kc for paddy (R2=0.95), banana (R2=0.93), and sugarcane (R2=0.79). Compared to FAO56-Kc, the derived Kc values using NDVI-Kc were higher, while the SEBAL-Kc values were lower for all growth stages of paddy. For sugarcane crop, the FAO-56 Kc, NDVI-Kc and ClimAdj-Kc for local climate were almost similar in all stages. In case of banana, NDVI-Kc and SEBAL-Kc were higher as compared to the FAO-56-Kc and ClimAdj-Kc. SEBAL approach performs well as it accounted for local climatic conditions and crop canopy changes, whereas NDVI considered only crop canopy. However, SEBAL method is computationally intensive as compared to NDVI-Kc method. The Kc values estimated in this study can be important in quantifying the crop evapotranspiration at regional and field scale, leading to better decision making in irrigation scheduling.

The Problem of Women Handloom Weavers in Walaja Block of Tamil Nadu

The Problem of Women Handloom Weavers in Walaja Block of Tamil Nadu

Task shifting to frontline community health workers for improved diabetes care in low-resource settings in India: a phase II non-randomized controlled clinical trial

Background The epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus is growing at large globally, more so in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) like India, who concurrently battles the burden of infectious diseases. In such a health setting, people with diabetes (PWD) often receive sub-optimal care due to lack of understanding, physician-patient time, social support, and financial resources. Thus, there is a need for innovative, feasible, targeted interventions that strengthen health system to reduce the impact of diabetes in the rural communities in India. We hypothesised that structured interventions delivered by trained community health workers (CHWs) would improve outcomes in PWD and sought to demonstrate non-inferiority compared to standard care. Methods A phase II, non-randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted in a rural block in Tamil Nadu, India. Two sub-center areas (cluster) each were allocated to the control and intervention arms, with 50 participants in each cluster. The control group received standard care routinely provided and the intervention group received interventions namely – CHW delivered, Engage communities, Screen, Examine, Refer and Follow up with the aid of ‘education tools’ and a ‘tablet based SmartHealth Application for follow-up’. Non-inferiority of the intervention in terms of early case detection, reduction in number of unnecessary physician consultations and glycaemic control was demonstrated using generalized estimating equation (GEE) for repeated measures with exchangeable correlation structure, adjusting for age, duration of diabetes and family history of diabetes. Results Baseline characteristics of both groups were comparable. CHWs were successfully able to Engage, Screen, Examine, Refer and Follow-up patients in the community. The multipronged interventions delivered by CHWs were demonstrated to be non-inferior to standard care, with significant difference in case detection rate (P=0.003), early recognition of complications, reduction in unnecessary physician consultations (P=0.041) and better glycaemic control (P=0.036). Conclusions The study has shown promising results in the limited sample size and a small geographic area and has been able to show that the task shifting to frontline community health workers for diabetes care works in this rural population. We recommend a scale up of the intervention by conducting a multicentric randomized controlled trial including cost-effectiveness analysis and taking into account stakeholders’ opinions regarding this model of diabetes care.

Vitamin D status in Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu, India

BackgroundVitamin D has multifarious roles in maintenance of health and prevention of disease. The present study was undertaken to assess the vitamin D status of a rural adult south Indian population and to identify its associations with socioeconomic status and cultural practices.MethodsBetween June 2015 and July 2016, 424 healthy adults residing in Kattankulathur block in Tamil Nadu, India, provided venous blood samples and answered questions by personal interview. 25-hydroxy vitamin D was estimated by ELISA.ResultsFifty nine (13.9%) of the 424 participants had 25OHD levels below 12 ng/mL (vitamin D deficient) and 175 (41.3%) had 25OHD levels between 12 to 20 ng/mL (vitamin D insufficiency). In univariate analysis, demographic factors associated with vitamin D status included education, occupation, socioeconomic class, and birthplace; lifestyle factors included sun exposure time, skin surface exposed to sunlight, use of sunscreen, awareness of vitamin D, and consumption of fish; and hygiene related factors included source of drinking water, availability of tap water at home, and closed toilet at home. In ordinal logistic regression, the following variables were found to be independently associated with vitamin D sufficiency: Duration of daily sun exposure below 30 min (Odds ratio 0.31, 95% confidence intervals 0.14–0.71, P = 0.006), sun exposure 30–60 min (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.30–0.80, P = 0.004), male gender (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.30–3.09, P = 0.002), higher level of education (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.69–0.94, P = 0.005), non-consumption of fatty fish (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.24–0.85, P = 0.035) and presence of closed toilet system at home (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.37–0.93).ConclusionVDD and VDI are highly prevalent in this rural Indian community. The study identifies socioeconomic and behavior patterns that negatively impact vitamin D sufficiency, thus providing a basis for targeted intervention.

SYMPTOMATOLOGY OF FEMALE PATIENTS ATTENDING MOBILE MEDICAL CLINICS IN A RURAL BLOCK IN TAMILNADU

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to find out the prevalence of “symptoms not elsewhere classified” under the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification among the female patients attending mobile medical clinics.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 7,124 female patients who attended weekly mobile medical clinics in a rural block in Tamil Nadu. Sociodemographic variables, symptomatology, patient history, and clinical examination details were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire.Results: The five common symptoms affecting the study population were myalgia (18.3%), nasal congestion (13.6%), headache (13.1%), lumbar pain (12.5%), and knee pain (9.3%). The systems commonly affected among the female patients were in the order of general symptoms and signs (R50-R69), circulatory and respiratory systems (R00-R09), and Nervous and Musculoskeletal Systems (R25-R29). In the age group of 10–19 years and 20–39 years, the most common symptom was headache (25.2% and 18.8%, respectively). In the age group of 40–59 years and 60 years and above, it was myalgia (24.2% and 32.3%, respectively).Conclusion: As pain being most common symptoms, an appropriate strategy and guidelines have to be developed to manage the problem of pain at primary care level.

Is disability in leprosy still a burden? A cross-sectional study in a rural block in Tamil Nadu, India

Leprosy, a disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, is an important cause of preventable disability. The present cross-sectional study was undertaken among leprosy-affected persons in a rural block in Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu, India in the year 2013. The sample included treatment completed leprosy affected persons ≥18 y of age. Persons with difficulty in cognition and those who were not willing to participate in the study were excluded. Subjects were also graded for any deformities of the body using World Health Organization (WHO) disability grading. The present study, carried out among 171 people affected with leprosy in a rural block, showed the lifetime prevalence of disability was 88.3% (95% confidence interval 83.4 to 93.1). The mean age of the study participants was 61.58±12.31 y with almost equal distribution of males (49.7%) and females (50.3%). WHO disability grading showed that 147 (86%) of the subjects were grade 2 (visible deformity) while only 4 (2.3%) were grade 1. It was found that education, occupation, income and duration since diagnosis had statistical significance with disability. Disability was observed more in males and the most common type of deformity was hand and foot deformity. Further studies are needed to assess those patients who completed treatment and recommends periodic neurological assessment of those in treatment.

Quality of Life of People with Physical Disabilities in a Rural Block of Tamil Nadu, India

Poor participation in society, stigma and discrimination can contribute to poor life satisfaction and quality of life among people with disabilities. This study aimed to assess the quality of life of people with physical disabilities. A total of 203 individuals with physical disabilities were sampled through simple random sampling method from the people with disabilities registry in Kaniyambadi, a rural block in Tamil Nadu, India. Quality of life was measured using the WHO QOL-BREF. Severity of disability was assessed using the WHO DAS 2.0. Of the persons with physical disabilities, 37.5% rated their quality of life as poor and 92.4% experienced negative feelings often. Dissatisfaction about health was present among 35% of the individuals. Acquired disability and severe disability were significantly associated with lower scores in the physical and psychological domain of quality of life. Being single, belonging to poor socio-economic status and having severe disability were factors which were significantly associated with lower scores in the social and environmental domain of quality of life. Marital and socio-economic status significantly impacts the social and environmental domain of quality of life of people with disabilities. National programmes on disability should target on provision of inclusive educational and occupational opportunities with the aid of assistive technologies for people with disabilities, for improvement of quality of life.

Designing agromet advisories for selected weather windows under automated weather based advisory system in Tamil Nadu – A case study

Research work was undertaken at Agro Climate Research Centre, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Coimbatore, with the objective of developing agromet advisories for rice crop for 54 independent selected weather windows (SWW) covering eight rice growing seasons/systems of Tamil Nadu. This was done to provide weather-based agromet advisory to the farming community. Weather sensitive rice agromet advisories were developed for its nine stages through group discussions based on rice crop sensitiveness to SWW. The available literature on interaction between rice crop and weather elements at their different threshold levels was also properly considered during this exercise. Proto-type were run for one block of Tamil Nadu and thus problems identified for seeking solutions.

Prevalence of pain among female patients attending mobile medical camp in a rural block of Tamilnadu, India

Background: Pain is a major global health problem and one of the most common problem for which people seek medical care. The musculoskeletal pains were not perceived by the health professionals as a serious health problem like other chronic non communicable diseases and pain is seen as a result of aging. The data on the prevalence of pain and musculoskeletal disorders in rural population of Tamilnadu, India is scare. The objective was to estimate the prevalence of different types of pain among female patients attending mobile medical camp in rural block in Tamilnadu, India. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 7124 female patients who attended our weekly mobile medical camp conducted in 30 villages selected conveniently in the rural block of Kancheepuram District of Tamil Nadu in the year 2013 and analyzed for the presence or absence types and site of pain (intermittent or continuous) for 1 month or longer. Results: Prevalence of pain was 62.8%. The prevalence of pain in <19 years was 29.5%, and 60 years and above was 73.1%. The most common pain reported was myalgia (18.3%), followed by headache (13.4%), low back pain (12.5%) and knee pain (9.3%). As the age advances the prevalence of myalgia, chest pain, knee pain, multiple joint pains also increases and it was found statistically significant. As the age advances the patients with pain symptoms also increases with 29.5% of the patients below the age 19 years to 74.5% of the patients above the age of 60 years. Conclusions: In conclusion more than 60% of the patients attending of the medical camp complained of pain. At primary care level the physicians needs better knowledge on the management of these common pains sites especially in the rural communities when people seek medical care through camps.

Prevalence of prediabetes and its associated risk factors among rural adults in Tamil Nadu

Background: Considerable number of people in the prediabetic stage will go on to develop type 2 diabetes. Early diagnosis and intervention of prediabetic and their cluster of risk factors can prevent the cardiovascular events and other complications of diabetes. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of prediabetes and associated factors among adults attending fixed mobile clinic in a rural block in Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 544 individuals over the age of 20 years through our fixed mobile clinic among 30 villages of a block in Tamil Nadu with a structured interview schedule. Results: A total of 544 participants above the age of 20 years were studied of which 72.6% were women and 27.4% were men. The prevalence of prediabetes was 8.5% and diabetes was 10.1%. Higher risk of being prediabetic and diabetic was noted above the age of 40 years (odds ratio [OR] = 7.79, 2.17), male gender (OR = 1.46, 2.34), body mass index of more than 23 kg/m 2 (OR = 1.52, 2.13), waist hip ratio of men >1 and women >0.8 (OR = 1.49, 2.28), alcohol intake (OR = 1.59, 2.45), and systolic blood pressure of more than 140 mm of Hg (OR = 2.23 and 2.15). Conclusion: Identifying people with prediabetes and creating awareness on the prevention of diabetes by lifestyle modification and development of cost-effective strategy to prevent or delay the progression of the prediabetic stage to diabetic stage is the need of the hour for the prevention of diabetes in country like India.

Ten Years Risk Prediction of a Major Cardiovascular Event in a Rural Block in Tamil Nadu

Background: India has a high burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). High-risk interventions can be initiated only when individuals at high-risk have been identified. Objectives: The objective was to estimate the prevalence and the sociodemographic pattern of cardiovascular risk factors and to predict the 10 years risk of fatal and nonfatal major cardiovascular events in a rural population in Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 30 villages of a rural block in Tamil Nadu from March 2012 to February 2013 in the age group of 40-79 years attending our fixed mobile clinics using structured interview schedule and subsequently, the World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension (WHO/ISH) risk charts were used to predict the 10 years absolute risk of fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular event. Results: A total of 482 individuals were studied of which 68.3% were women and 31.7% were men. Prevalence of overweight, diabetes, and systolic hypertension was found to be 60%, 22.8%, and 34.6%, respectively. A majority (79.9%) of the study population had 10 years cardiovascular risk of <10% while only 2.5% had a risk of more than 40%. As the age advances, the proportion of participants with high-risk also increased and this trend was statistically significant (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Less than 10% of the population had a high-risk of CVD based on WHO/ISH risk score. These charts help identify the high-risk groups in the population in resource-scarce setting and thus an appropriate action can be taken.

Determinants of postpartum anemia among women from a rural population in southern India.

BackgroundEven though the problem of anemia during pregnancy has been adequately emphasized, very little attention has been paid to postpartum anemia. The objective of the current study was to estimate the mean change in maternal hemoglobin from 36 weeks’ gestation to 6 weeks postpartum and to identify the factors associated with anemia during the postpartum period among women in a rural development block in Tamil Nadu, India.MethodsNinety-three pregnant women were interviewed using a structured questionnaire at 36 weeks’ gestation and then at 2 and 6 weeks postpartum. Blood samples were collected from the participants at 36 weeks’ gestation and at 6 weeks postpartum. Paired t-tests assessing the difference in mean hemoglobin prepartum and postpartum, univariate analysis, and multiple logistic regression to identify factors associated with postpartum anemia were done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 12 for Microsoft Windows software.ResultsThe proportion of study subjects who were anemic (hemoglobin <11 g/dL) at 36 weeks’ gestation was 26.8% and at 6 weeks postpartum was 47.3% (hemoglobin <12 g/dL). The mean hemoglobin at 36–38 weeks’ gestation was 11.70±1.43 g/dL and at 6 weeks postpartum was 12.10±1.27 g/dL. Anemia at 36 weeks’ gestation (odds ratio [OR] 10.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.37–42.34), heavy blood loss perceived by the mother during delivery (OR 12.91, 95% CI 2.01–61.25), younger maternal age (<21 years, OR 2.45, 95% CI 1.28–23.86), and inadequate iron supplementation during the postpartum period (OR 3.53, 95% CI 1.18–11.37) were identified as significant factors associated with anemia at 6 weeks postpartum.ConclusionAnemia during the third trimester of pregnancy, heavy bleeding perceived by the mother during delivery, younger maternal age, and inadequate iron supplementation during the postpartum period were associated with postpartum anemia.

A study on risk factors for lifestyle diseases among patients attending fixed mobile clinic in a rural block in Tamil Nadu

Background: Chronic diseases are becoming major health problems in India including the rural population. Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are increasingly becoming a disease of poor and younger segments of the population. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among 2112 participants through our fixed mobile clinic among 30 villages to assess the risk factors for lifestyle diseases in a rural block in Tamil Nadu. Results: The proportion of study population smoking and being alcoholic was 5.7% each. More men (15.2%) smoked as compared to women (0.9%). More than half of the study population was overweight. About 19.3% had a systolic blood pressure of more than 140 mm hg and 14.8% had diastolic blood pressure of more than 90 mm hg. On an average, fruits were consumed on 2.92 days/week. Conclusion: Sound community based comprehensive behavioral and life style intervention approach should be established to reduce the modifiable risk factors of CVD.

Chemical use in farming and its health and environmental implications in a rural setting in southern India

Inappropriate use, handling and disposal of agrochemicals could have adverse health and environmental impact.This study was done in selected villages of a rural developmental block in Tamilnadu with the main objectives of assessing the knowledge and practices regarding storage, handling and disposal of routinely used agrochemicals; exploring the farmers' perceptions of agrochemical use and its potential ill effects on health and to determine if commonly used agrochemicals have reached the water consumed by the local population. Methodology involved cross sectional survey, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and water sample testing.Of the 98 farmers interviewed 18.4% stored agrochemicals in their homes prior to usage. Thirty nine percent used bare hands to mix the chemicals, a third disposed empty sacs or tins of agrochemicals in the open and 43% reused containers/sacks to store materials at homes. Only 28% used adequate personal protective equipment while applying agrochemicals. Focus group discussion and key informant interviews revealed that awareness regarding health effects of chemicals was poor among the farmers. Except for phosphorous, all chemicals tested were below detectable levels in the ground water samples from both the study villages.The practice of storing, mixing and applying agrochemicals without personal protection and unsafe disposal of pesticide containers appears to be widely prevalent in the study villages. A comprehensive program for creating awareness for safe management, handling and disposal of pesticides among both users and shop keepers is required to address this important health and environmental problem

Economic implications of three strategies for the control of taeniasis

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of three strategies for the control of taeniasis in a community, in terms of cost per case treated. A study was conducted in South India to determine the prevalence of taeniasis by screening stool samples from 653 randomly chosen subjects, for coproantigens. The costs incurred in the project were used to estimate the cost per case screened and treated. A one-way sensitivity analysis was carried out for varying rates of taeniasis, different screening strategies and mass therapy. Further sensitivity analysis was carried out with different manpower and test costs. The rate of taeniasis as detected by ELISA for coproantigen was 3 per 1000 (2 of 653 samples). Our study showed that mass therapy without screening for taeniasis would be the most economical strategy in terms of cost per case treated if field workers are employed exclusively for either mass therapy or screening. For each strategy, costs per case treated are higher at low prevalence of taeniasis, with a sharp rise below 15%. In places that are endemic for taeniasis and neurocysticercosis, mass therapy or screening for taeniasis should be considered. Screening by stool microscopy is not cost-effective in terms of cost per case of taeniasis treated owing to its low sensitivity. Although the cost per case of taeniasis treated is high at low prevalence of taeniasis for all options, incorporating mass therapy into existing mass drug distribution programmes might prove to be the most cost-effective control strategy.

Goal programming model for sustainable electricity production from biomass

In this paper, we present a goal programming model for block level energy planning in order to make a block self-sufficient in electricity consumption, which includes the commercial energy consumption goal, the goal of generating electricity from biomass and food production goals with linear constraints on the available sources such as human power, animal power, tractor power, land area and on the requirement of the block such as cooking energy, lighting energy and energy for other operations, such as fodder for animal population. We try to achieve these goals through proper allocation of land for different crops. After reformulating the developed goal programming model into a linear programming format, we use the HYPER LINDO software package to solve it in a Pentium-based IBM-PC compatible computer system. The developed model is solved for a typical Indian block, namely Nilakkottai Block in Tamil Nadu, India. The model solution shows that the goal of generating electricity from biomass is achieved, the commercial energy consumption goal and pulses requirement goal are under-achieved and the sugar requirement goal is over-achieved. Furthermore, the cereal, vegetable and oilseed production goals are achieved. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.