Communities In Tanzania Research Articles

An integrated health delivery platform, targeting soil-transmitted helminths (STH) and canine mediated human rabies, results in cost savings and increased breadth of treatment for STH in remote communities in Tanzania

BackgroundAchieving the Sustainable Development Goal of a 90% reduction in neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by 2030 requires innovative control strategies.This proof-of-concept study examined the effectiveness of integrating control programs for two NTDs: mass drug administration (MDA) for soil-transmitted helminths in humans and mass dog rabies vaccination (MDRV).MethodsThe study was carried out in 24 Tanzanian villages. The primary goal was to demonstrate the feasibility of integrating community-wide MDA for STH and MDRV for rabies. The objectives were to investigate the popularity, participation and cost and time savings of integrated delivery, and to investigate the reach of the MDA with respect to primary school-aged children and other community members. To implement, we randomly allocated villages for delivery of MDA and MDRV (Arm A), MDA only (Arm B) or MDRV only (Arm C).ResultsCommunity support for the integrated delivery was strong (e.g. 85% of focus group discussions concluded that it would result in people getting “two for one” health treatments). A high proportion of households participated in the integrated Arm A events (81.7% MDA, 80.4% MDRV), and these proportions were similar to those in Arms B and C. These findings suggest that coverage might not be reduced when interventions are integrated. Moreover, in addition to time savings, integrated delivery resulted in a 33% lower cost per deworming dose and a 16% lower cost per rabies vaccination.The median percentage of enrolled primary school children treated by this study was 76%. However, because 37% of the primary school aged children that received deworming treatment were not enrolled in school, we hypothesize that the employed strategy could reach more school-aged children than would be reached through a solely school-based delivery strategy.ConclusionsIntegrated delivery platforms for health interventions can be feasible, popular, cost and time saving. The insights gained could be applicable in areas of sub-Saharan Africa that are remote or underserved by health services. These results indicate the utility of integrated One Health delivery platforms and suggest an important role in the global campaign to reduce the burden of NTDs, especially in hard-to-reach communities.Trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov NCT03667079, retrospectively registered 11th September 2018.

Evaluating pictorial charts as a means of collecting participant-recorded data on household dietary diversity in low-literacy communities in Tanzania.

Innovative methods to collect dietary data at multiple times across the year are needed to better understand seasonal or temporal changes in household diets and measure the impact of nutrition-sensitive agricultural programmes in low-income countries. The present study aims to validate a picture-based research tool for participants to self-record their household's dietary diversity each month in villages of Manyoni District, Tanzania. Pictorial record charts were developed to reflect local food resources. In 113 randomly selected households, the person responsible for food preparation was trained to mark all items consumed by any household member within the home, or prepared for consumption outside the home, for a single recording day. The next day, an interview-based household 24-h food recall (H24HR) was collected for the same period. Separate analyses tested agreement (a) between picture charts and H24HR and (b) between H24HR following chart completion and on an alternative day. Concordance between methods differed between food groups and items but was high to very high for all cereals, vegetables, pulses, legumes and nuts and almost all fruits. Recording of ten items (including non-cultivated fruits and ingredients of mixed dishes) differed significantly between H24HR assessments, all of which were reported by more households in interviews following chart completion. Results suggest potential for visual prompts and the contemporaneous nature of data collection to improve the accuracy of interview-based recall. With adequate investment in developing and implementing context-adapted tools, pictorial charts may also offer an effective standalone method for use at multiple time-points in agricultural programmes.

A Strategy to Witness to the Indian Community in Tanzania

The Indian community in Dar es Salaam has hardly been witnessed to by the Seventh-day Adventist church. However, some Christian denominations have attempted reaching them. Hinduism is the main religion of the Indian community in Dar es Salaam, with a few belonging to Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. The purpose of the study was to develop a strategy to witness to the Indian community in Dar es Salaam, with a pilot implementation by a sample group of three Adventist church members. A pilot implementation of the intervention program followed with an evaluation. Two Indians were selected into a focus group because they were the only ones in the church and were the source of primary data of the Indian community. The selection of an African was purposeful. Methodology of research was qualitative because the researcher dealt with behaviors of the people. A summary of the information gathered from the focus group discussions was compiled and applied. As a result of the pilot implementation of the project, one young man was baptized from the Indian community. One India former member was reclaimed to Sabbath school at Magomeni SDA church. The study drew the following conclusions: First, the strategy, proposed by this study and tested by a pilot group, is an effective way of witnessing to the Indian community because of its positive results.

Make the village better: An evaluation of the Saemaul Zero Hunger Communities Project in Tanzania and Bangladesh

Abstract A majority of people in developing countries suffer from chronic hunger due to food crises and poverty. This has attracted humanitarian organizations specializing in addressing hunger, food security and poverty to set up efforts aimed at reducing hunger and poverty among vulnerable communities. This study aims to evaluate the achievements of the Saemaul Zero Hunger Communities Project (SZHCP) of the World Food Program (WFP) implemented by Good Neighbors International (GNI) in partnership with Tanzanian and Bangladesh local governments, which ran from 2014 to 2018 in selected local communities in Tanzania and Bangladesh. The project targeted the most vulnerable communities to improve their livelihood and rural development programs in terms of food security, income generation, education, and infrastructure improvement through community-based activities. To collect information and data for evaluation, we conducted field research such as in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and household surveys in the target villages of the SZHCP in Tanzania and Bangladesh. Using qualitative analysis, difference-in-difference estimation, and linear regression on surveys of 1142 respondents, we show that the SZHCP significantly improved the livelihoods of beneficiaries in relation to zero hunger, and also increased income generation and promoted positive social changes. It has also helped to strengthen the capacity of communities to run development projects themselves. This study provides evidence-based analysis that could allow stakeholders and researchers to more fully engage with future community-based projects.

Protected areas, household environmental incomes and well-being in the Greater Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem

Protected areas are an important cornerstone in the attempt to halt habitat and species losses. While it is widely recognized that local communities impact on conservation outcomes, there is a limited understanding of the economic importance of environmental resources in protected areas to local household incomes and well-being. This inhibits the development and implementation of efficient conservation policies. This paper, using the iconic case of the Greater Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem and its surrounding local communities in Tanzania and Kenya, quantifies the household-level economic importance of this protected area. Data was collected using well-being and environmentally augmented structured household surveys administered to 985 randomly selected households in 25 communities. Results documented high reliance on environmental income of the poorest, a negative relationship between environmental reliance and well-being, with households closer to the protected area having higher environmental reliance and lower well-being. Hence, degradation of protected area habitats will negatively and disproportionately affect the income and may further reduce the well-being of the poorest households. Sustainable protected area management must address human well-being as well as conservation objectives. Increasing access to education and building skills to promote alternative non-environmental based livelihood activities will promote both conservation and development objectives.

In-Situ Adaptation and Coastal Vulnerabilities in Ghana and Tanzania

Coastal fisheries communities in sub-Saharan Africa are under high socioeconomic vulnerability in the face of environmental pressures. This article contributes to the current adaptation debate by revisiting the benefits of in-situ adaptation. We assess possible in-situ adaptation strategies amid ongoing vulnerabilities by comparing Ghana and Tanzania. A total of 441 household surveys were conducted in four study sites. The major findings of the study are as follows: First, the three major in-situ adaptation strategies are regular changes of nondestructive fisheries techniques, alternative occupations, and collective action. Second, all three strategies have a significant relationship with income change. Finally, the communities in Tanzania utilized all three strategies more and performed better economically than those in Ghana. On the basis of these insights, we suggest implications of in-situ adaptation for future coastal development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Consumption of Dark Green Leafy Vegetables Predicts Vitamin A and Iron Intake and Status among Female Small-Scale Farmers in Tanzania.

Inadequate consumption of micronutrient-dense foods such as vegetables and meat are an important contributing cause for anemia and deficiencies of iron and vitamin A in rural communities of Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016 to examine nutritional and micronutrient status and their associations to the diet of female small-scale farmers in the sub-humid Kilosa (n = 333) and the semi-arid Chamwino (n = 333) districts, in the Morogoro and Dodoma region. An overall higher prevalence of overweight (19.7%) and obesity (7.1%) than of underweight (5.9%) was detected. Significantly more women in the two villages of Kilosa (27–40%) than in the two villages of Chamwino district (19–21%) were overweight/obese, but also more frequently had anemia (34–41% vs. 11–17%), iron deficiency (24–32% vs. 15–17%), and low serum retinol (21–24% vs. 8–9%). Overall, only a small proportion of women reached recommended daily micronutrient intakes: 27% for vitamin A, 17% for iron, 7% for zinc, and 12–38% for B-vitamins. The amount of dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV) consumed was the main determinant of vitamin A and iron intake by women in Chamwino and corresponded to higher hemoglobin, serum retinol and iron status than in the villages of the Kilosa district; in agreement, DGLV consumption also predicted iron and vitamin A intake in Kilosa district. DGLV consumed with wholemeal millet was advantageous in terms of women’s vitamin A and iron intake and status over the predominantly maize-rice-based diet lacking vegetables.

Developing indigenous tourism in the bomas: critiquing issues from within the Maasai community in Tanzania

ABSTRACTWith safari attractions dominating the African tourism sector, many tourism studies in Africa have focused on wildlife and wilderness resourced-based tourism, with a secondary body of literature exploring cultural aspects of tourism. Recently many countries in the region, including Tanzania, have started to recognize the potential for stand-alone, culture-based tourism to diversify the tourism industry and for rural, economic development purposes. Drawing upon insights from local stakeholders, primarily members of the Maasai community this study identifies the critical challenges for providing indigenous cultural tourism in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania. Qualitative data for the study were collected through interviews and site visits to eight Maasai bomas (cultural tourism villages or settlements). Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed significant limiting factors affecting the development of indigenous cultural tourism amongst Maasai in Tanzania. The findings indicate that achieving success in indigenous cultural tourism is therefore challenging, and needs to incorporate specific community-based strategies which can facilitate the development of Maasai cultural tourism.

Responses of water insecure coastal communities of Tanzania to climate change impacts. Is it incremental or transformative adaptation?

ABSTRACTClimate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges of the twenty-first century that requires significant responses. Its impacts have already been felt and projected to cause more impacts on sectors essential for economic development including freshwater resources. Although it is becoming clear that transformative adaptation is indispensable as climate change impacts increase, most adaptation strategies have largely been envisioned to be incremental with little attention to transformative adaptation. To fill part of such information gap, this paper assessed if responses of water insecure coastal communities of Tanzania are incremental or transformative. Simple random sampling procedure was used to obtain 97 households, while purposive sampling procedure was used to select key informants. Quantitative data were subjected to descriptive statistics, whereas qualitative data were analysed through content analysis. Results indicated that water security has decreased in the past 30 years. Most response strategies used by people in the area are incremental, weak and undesirable for effective as well as successful adaptation to climate change. This study recommends for development practitioners and other stakeholders to help local people institute transformative adaptation.

Provitamin A Carotenoids, Tocopherols, Ascorbic Acid and Minerals in Indigenous Leafy Vegetables from Tanzania

The essential micronutrients in indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) could substantially contribute to the micronutrient supply in rural communities in Tanzania, but concentrations differ between species. Provitamin A carotenoids, tocopherols, ascorbic acid, minerals, and phytate were analysed in 13 different species using HPLC-, ICP-OES, and photometric techniques. Eight of the 13 ILVs, including Amaranthus ssp. and Sesamum angustifolium, had high β-carotene concentrations (2.91–4.84 mg/100 g fresh weight), which could provide ≥50% of vitamin A’s recommended nutrient intake (RNI). Six ILVs including Cleome hirta and Sonchus luxurians had high iron contents (34.5–60.4 mg/100 g, >50% RNI); Amaranthus ssp. represented the ILV with high calcium, magnesium and zinc contents (85%, 207% and 21% of RNI per 100 g); Cleome hirta and Cleome gynandra had high ascorbic acid contents (>15 mg/100 g, 34–35% of RNI), while Sesamum angustifolium was the only ILV with a high tocopherol content (7.34 mg α-TE/100 g). The highest phytate concentration was found in Amaranthus ssp., which could negatively affect its role as a very good source of minerals. Results indicate that the analysed ILVs could make a substantial contribution to the vitamin A and iron supply in the diets of rural Tanzanian populations.

Material Culture and its Functional Importance to the Gogo Community in Tanzania in East Africa

Material Culture and its Functional Importance to the Gogo Community in Tanzania in East Africa

A review of the role of institutions in participatory forest management in Tanzania

Tanzania is among the first African countries to formally recognise the role of communities in the governance of forest resources. Some pilot activities were carried out in the early 1990s in the forests of Duru-Haitemba, Migori and Suledo that resulted in the forest policy and legislation to support participatory forest management (PFM). The local communities are involved in joint forest management (JFM) and community-based forest management (CBFM). This paper attempts to assess the performance of the PFM institutions in Tanzania in terms of its goals of improving the livelihood of local people, environmental and forest conditions and governance. The term 'institution' implies the set of rights, rules and processes of decision making in governing the use and management of forests. The study revealed that despite the potential of PFM in improving forest resources and livelihoods of forest communities in Tanzania, there are limitations in the existing practices and institutional arrangements.

Solar powered nanofiltration for drinking water production from fluoride-containing groundwater – A pilot study towards developing a sustainable and low-cost treatment plant

The following paper summarizes the findings of a pilot study to develop a simple, low-cost, holistic water concept on fluoride removal from groundwater in rural communities of Tanzania; an ideal representative community for other areas in the world with similar problems. A small photovoltaic powered nanofiltration (NF) pilot plant was installed at a vocational training center in Boma Ng´ombe in northern Tanzania. The groundwater in this region is contaminated with fluoride at very high concentrations of up to 60 mg/L. The pilot plant was equipped with a single membrane module containing a spiral wound 4040 membrane NF90 of Dow Water & Process Solutions and was successfully operated over a nine-month period.The membrane removed more than 98% of fluoride. In fact, the fluoride concentration in the permeate was always less than 1 mg/L, which is in agreement with the WHO recommended standard (1.5 mg/L). Permeate was also used as weekly flush medium, so no chemical cleaning was required. Aside from permeate (drinking water) concentrate was also used for washing and flushing the toilets. In conclusion, the use of solar PV power (2.25 KWP) for approximately 2.5 h per day allowed producing about 240 L/h of permeate on average. Therefore, the sustainability of the process and suitability for the Tanzanian communities was proved.

Fishery characteristics in two districts of coastal Tanzania

Nearshore marine fisheries provide the main source of protein for nearly 9 million people in coastal villages of Tanzania, yet for decades the fisheries have shown signs of overexploitation. These fisheries are small-scale and co-managed by local coastal communities and governmental authorities in groups known as Beach Management Units (BMUs). BMUs record individual fishing trip data (e.g. gear, vessel, taxa); however, the catch data have only been analyzed in nationally aggregated statistics. The objective of this study was to determine if BMU catch-assessment surveys can provide information on the fishing characteristics of small-scale fishing communities in Tanzania. We collected all available landings data from 2014 to 2017 from BMUs in fourteen villages in two spatially, socially, and ecologically distinct districts (Pangani and Rufiji) of the country. Our results show that each village had unique patterns for vessel-use, gear-use, and taxa landed, and that every village was specialized in some measure. Specifically, two villages in Pangani district landed octopus or parrotfish almost exclusively, suggesting potential trophic cascades after years of overexploitation. Furthermore, village fisheries had shared characteristics within their district, thus describing how fishing patterns vary at multiple spatial scales along the coast. Although imperfect, the catch data collected by the community organizations have generated the first descriptions of how village-based fisheries in Tanzania function. Using these findings, we suggest implementing local monitoring data and analysis into the fisheries management plans at the village and district scale. Continuing to collect and analyze community collected data is necessary to gain insights into the range of characteristics of small-scale fisheries to improve current management programs.

A risk-adjusted techno-economic analysis for renewable-based milk cooling in remote dairy farming communities in East Africa

The dairy industry accounts for 9–14% of East Africa's agricultural gross development product. Due to lack of milk cooling facilities, dairy farmers in areas without access to reliable grid electricity face problems of high milk spoilage and limited access to formal markets, which limits their income and standard of living. This article examines the economic viability for a number of configurations of off-grid solar, wind, biomass and biogas based milk-cooling systems serving a community in Tanzania. Key risk factors having the greatest impact on system viability are identified and a stochastic approach, by means of a Monte Carlo simulation is employed to determine the risk-adjusted economic performance of the project. The results indicate that biogas based systems offer the most viable option, with an internal rate of return of around 25%, a net present value of around $9000 and a projected increase in farmers' monthly income of at least 78%. Despite specific risk factors, the 300-L cooling system had an 82% probability of a positive net present value. However, larger system cooling capacities have a significant likelihood of a financial loss. Consequently, risk mitigation strategies designed to increase the probability of economic success are proposed.

Land-use patterns and their implication on malaria transmission in Kilosa District, Tanzania

BackgroundUnderstanding of the land use and malaria transmission among farming communities in Tanzania is of great significance. Water resource development projects, deforestation, wetland cultivation, and land use changes for agricultural purposes all expand habitats for malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The main objective of this study was to assess land use patterns and their implication on malaria transmission in two villages in Kilosa District, Tanzania.MethodsMultiple research methods were used for data collection, including household interviews using a structured questionnaire; key informant interviews; transect walks and direct field observations. A larval search was conducted using the dipper standard method whereby mosquito larvae and pupae were identified to genus level. Data analysis was undertaken using the Stata software version 10 and descriptive statistics were used.ResultsA total of 211 diverse mosquito breeding habitats were surveyed during this study. The mosquito breeding sites ranged from small areas such as hoof prints and coconut shells to large ones such as swamps created through anthropogenic activities. The relationships between land use patterns and malaria transmission were statistically insignificant, indicating that malaria transmission in Kilosa could possibly be due to other human activities, including seasonal movement to distant farms during farming seasons. Communities were knowledgeable about malaria preventive measures such as the use of mosquito nets. While knowledge that links mosquitoes and malaria was relatively high among respondents, knowledge related to mosquito ecology and breeding sites was generally low.ConclusionAlthough analysis of land use patterns did not show statistical significance in the study area, agricultural activities, brick making and settlement seem to be highly linked to malaria transmission. The association of land use patterns and malaria transmission is well observed in habitats created that harbour mosquitoes, and evidenced by presence of immature Anopheles mosquito larvae. Lack of knowledge of the epidemiology of transmission by the inhabitants is a major issue. Although it might be difficult to change land use patterns, as they are driven by economic necessity, future reduction of spread, through better education, is something that could be modified. In addition, more detailed studies are recommended to further confirm the linkages between land use/cover changes and malaria transmission in the study area.

The glocal dynamics of land reform in natural resource sectors: Insights from Tanzania

Several global governance initiatives have tried to address the heightened interest in land reform across sub-Saharan Africa, each identifying principles of good governance to promote investment while minimizing exploitation of local populations. Tanzania has been particularly earnest in seeking to implement land reform. Yet in spite of legislative reforms, several communities in Tanzania are still crying foul over perceptions of being marginalized as well as experiencing negative impacts on household human security in the form of access to food and employment. A useful way to investigate these perceptions is to situate analyses of land reform and natural resource governance within the interplay of ‘global’ and ‘local’ forces – glocal dynamics. Based on recently conducted field research and participant observations, this article provides timely analyses of Tanzania’s land governance reforms. This article identifies gaps in how policies have been conceived and in turn impacted vulnerable populations including rural women. The article also finds that global governance institutions need to pay greater attention to how land reform recommendations are implemented in order to cultivate equity and effectiveness.

Integration of eye health into primary care services in Tanzania: a qualitative investigation of experiences in two districts

BackgroundVisual impairment is a public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa, affecting nearly 5% of the population. Efforts to combat avoidable causes have been hampered by weak health systems and little evidence exists to suggest what interventions may be effective to improve the situation. Despite this, there are calls to promote some specific interventions, one of which being the closer integration of eye health services into health systems, often focusing on training primary health workers to deliver basic eye health services. This study seeks to understand how eye health services are delivered by primary health workers who have received training and what constraints remain to effective service provision.MethodsThis was a qualitative investigation into the experiences of 20 primary health workers trained in primary eye care and eight key informants working within specialist eye health services or regional and district health management positions in two districts in Tanzania.ResultsDespite feeling confident in their own eye care skills, most primary health workers felt constrained in the services they could provide to their communities by insufficient resources needed for diagnosis and treatment, and by lack of systematic supportive supervision to their work. Specialist ophthalmic staff were aware of this issue, although for the most part they felt it was not within their capacity to remedy and that it fell within the remit of general health managers. Many participants discussed the low support to eye health from the national government, evidenced through the lack of dedicated funding to the area and traditional reliance on outside funds including international charities.ConclusionsAlthough training of primary health workers is useful, it is recognised that is not sufficient to address the burden of eye health disease present in rural communities in Tanzania. It is likely that broader engagement with the general health system, and most likely with the private sector, will be necessary to improve the coverage of eye health care to remote and poor communities such as those in Morogoro. Further investment is needed to develop innovative approaches to delivering eye health services, including preventative, curative and rehabilitative services.

Researchers Position in Ethnographic Research: Experiences from Researching the Marginalised Pastoral Community in Tanzania

Researchers Position in Ethnographic Research: Experiences from Researching the Marginalised Pastoral Community in Tanzania

Use of mobile phones among agro-pastoralist communities in Tanzania

The study examined the usage of mobile phones among agro-pastoralists in Monduli and Bagamoyo districts in Tanzania. The study used a mixed approach in collecting and analysing the resultant data. The study’s findings reveal that individual and technology characteristics are important factors for mobile phone ownership and usage among agro-pastoralists. Further, the findings suggest that effective use of mobile phones presents a huge opportunity for improving information access for agro-pastoralist communities, so supporting their poverty reduction programs. Accordingly, usage of mobile phone technologies can offset some of the effects of neglected rural infrastructure and make rural development sustainable and competitive. The study concludes that there is an urgent need to re-think and re-orient the development thrust and deploy mobile phones to address business transaction and information access problems and supplement development-related information provided by other media.