Southeastern Africa Research Articles

Community Health Workers’ experiences of an intervention to provide them with increased support and supervision: a qualitative study of a home visiting model in rural South Africa

Deploying Community Health Workers (CHWs) is a crucial strategy to improve health at a community level in low- and middle-income countries. While there is substantial evidence for CHW effectiveness, there is a need for more research on the mechanisms through which these programs work. Understanding CHWs experiences of how programmes function is important. This article examines CHW’s experiences of three key programmatic domains; training, logistical support and supervision. Data were gathered using through qualitative descriptive study drawing from semi-structured interviews. The study was embedded within a cluster randomized controlled trial, testing the effectiveness of an enhanced supervision package delivered to government-employed CHWs in the rural Eastern Cape, South Africa, on maternal and child health outcomes We conducted individual semi structured interviews with CHWs (n = 16) and two supervisors. Data were coded deductively and overall, three overarching areas and five sub-themes emerged from our interviews, the overarching teams were; 1) CHW knowledge and confidence increased through additional training, 2) CHW motivation and community acceptance improved because of added logistical support, and 3) CHW supervision led to improved sense of accountability, feelings of respect, and sense of being supported. Our findings highlight the importance of a functional support system within which CHWs can operate, in a context where most CHWs operate in isolation and without support. CHWs receiving supportive supervision reported positive impacts on their motivation and ability to carry out their work effectively. Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02957799, 2016-11-08.

Global surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in food animals using priority drugs maps

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in food animals is a growing threat to animal health and potentially to human health. In resource-limited settings, allocating resources to address AMR can be guided with maps. Here, we mapped AMR prevalence in 7 antimicrobials in Escherichia coli and nontyphoidal Salmonella species across low- and middle-income countries (LIMCs), using 1088 point-prevalence surveys in combination with a geospatial model. Hotspots of AMR were predicted in China, India, Brazil, Chile, and part of central Asia and southeastern Africa. The highest resistance prevalence was for tetracycline (59% for E. coli and 54% for nontyphoidal Salmonella, average across LMICs) and lowest for cefotaxime (33% and 19%). We also identified the antimicrobial with the highest probability of resistance exceeding critical levels (50%) in the future (1.7–12.4 years) for each 10 × 10 km pixel on the map. In Africa and South America, 78% locations were associated with penicillins or tetracyclines crossing 50% resistance in the future. In contrast, in Asia, 77% locations were associated with penicillins or sulphonamides. Our maps highlight diverging geographic trends of AMR prevalence across antimicrobial classes, and can be used to target AMR surveillance in AMR hotspots for priority antimicrobial classes.

Mapping the diversity of land uses following deforestation across Africa

African forest are increasingly in decline as a result of land-use conversion due to human activities. However, a consistent and detailed characterization and mapping of land-use change that results in forest loss is not available at the spatial-temporal resolution and thematic levels suitable for decision-making at the local and regional scales; so far they have only been provided on coarser scales and restricted to humid forests. Here we present the first high-resolution (5 m) and continental-scale mapping of land use following deforestation in Africa, which covers an estimated 13.85% of the global forest area, including humid and dry forests. We use reference data for 15 different land-use types from 30 countries and implement an active learning framework to train a deep learning model for predicting land-use following deforestation with an F1-score of 84±0.7\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$84\\pm 0.7$$\\end{document} for the whole of Africa. Our results show that the causes of forest loss vary by region. In general, small-scale cropland is the dominant driver of forest loss in Africa, with hotspots in Madagascar and DRC. In addition, commodity crops such as cacao, oil palm, and rubber are the dominant drivers of forest loss in the humid forests of western and central Africa, forming an “arc of commodity crops” in that region. At the same time, the hotspots for cashew are found to increasingly dominate in the dry forests of both western and south-eastern Africa, while larger hotspots for large-scale croplands were found in Nigeria and Zambia. The increased expansion of cacao, cashew, oil palm, rubber, and large-scale croplands observed in humid and dry forests of western and south-eastern Africa suggests they are vulnerable to future land-use changes by commodity crops, thus creating challenges for achieving the zero deforestation supply chains, support REDD+ initiatives, and towards sustainable development goals.

Large-scale photovoltaic solar farms in the Sahara affect solar power generation potential globally

Globally, solar projects are being rapidly built or planned, particularly in high solar potential regions with high energy demand. However, their energy generation potential is highly related to the weather condition. Here we use state-of-the-art Earth system model simulations to investigate how large photovoltaic solar farms in the Sahara Desert could impact the global cloud cover and solar generation potential through disturbed atmospheric teleconnections. The results indicate negative impacts on solar potential in North Africa (locally), Middle East, Southern Europe, India, Eastern China, Japan, Eastern Australia, and Southwestern US, and positive impacts in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Central & Eastern US, Scandinavia and South Africa, reaching a magnitude of ±5% in remote regions seasonally. Diagnostics suggest that large-scale atmospheric circulation changes are responsible for the global impacts. International cooperation is essential to mitigate the potential risks of future large-scale solar projects in drylands, which could impact energy production.

Mid-Late Holocene palynological development at Lake St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal

Palynological studies were done on lacustrine core sediments in the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt Biome of KwaZulu-Natal, eastern South Africa, that were deposited during the last ∼6300 cal yrs BP in the Mkuze River delta that drains into the northern-most part of Lake St Lucia. The aim was to reconstruct the past vegetation and to infer past climate fluctuations as well as human disturbances to complement growing evidence from other disciplines about these aspects in the area. Palynological results show a dominance of Poaceae (20–50%) suggesting the consistent presence of grassy woodland. Podocarpus pollen dominated the arboreal spectra from 6300 to 2600 cal yrs BP. Thereafter Spirostachys pollen dominated the arboreal pollen spectra for the last 2600 cal yrs BP indicating a change from a forested environment to a more open woodland environment caused by a drop in moisture content (humidity). The results also show that the mid Holocene was humid and warm with high precipitation (freshwater conditions) coinciding with raised sea levels. The late Holocene was warm and dry with some marine influence with more seawater flowing into the estuary and lake due to high evaporation and low fresh water supply caused by drought. Similar pollen fluctuations were observed in records from Lakes Eteza and Sibaya, also located within the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt Biome. The presence of Pinus pollen at the top of the profiles suggests the onset of European settlement when pines were introduced for timber production.

NEW DATA ON THE SYSTEMATICS OF RECENT OSTRACODA OF THE GENUS AMBOSTRACON HAZEL 1962 (HEMICYTHERIDAE, PODOCOPIDA) FROM SOUTH AFRICA

The study provides a revision of the taxonomic composition (subgenuses, species) of the genus Ambostracon Hazel 1962 and a monographic description of the fossil (Holocene) and Recent marine ostracods of the genus Ambostracon of South and South-Eastern Africa. The material examined comes from geological stations on the shelf, continental slope and deep-water depression (32–3059 m water depth) of three areas (from the southern coast Mossel Bay to the eastern coast south of Durban, the outer part of Maputo Bay and the eastern coast of South Africa) and surface sediment samples from lagoons, estuaries and coastal lakes of the eastern coast of the South East Africa (Wilderness area, 0.2–1000 m water depth) (R/V METEOR M123-2016). The validity of the selection of the subgenus Ambostracon Patagonacythere is discussed. Two species (Ambostracon keeleri, A. flabellicostata) and one new species (Ambostracon frenzeli sp. nov.) were described. The systematic section provides data about synonymy (compiled on the results of a revision of the species volume), holotype (paratypes, syntypes), material, diagnosis, description, dimensions (linear, relative), sexual dimorphism, individual and geographic variability (fixation of the manifestations and the range of the variability of the morphological elements of the shell), comparison, remarks, localities, stratigraphical position, geographical distribution, environmental conditions of the site (for recent species), palaeoecology (for fossil species), zoogeography. SEM-images of external and internal structures of the carapace (macro- and mesosculpture, central muscle scar field, hinge, normal pore canals) are provided.

First report of Fusarium wilt of Cavendish bananas caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 in the Grande Comoros Island.

Fusarium wilt of banana, caused by the soil-borne pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), is a major constraint to banana production worldwide (Viljoen et al., 2020). Currently, Cavendish bananas are severely affected by Foc Tropical Race 4 (TR4) globally. In Africa, Foc TR4 was first detected in northern Mozambique in 2013 (Viljoen et al., 2020), and has since been found on the island of Mayotte in the Mozambique Channel off the coast of southeastern Africa (Aguayo et al., 2021). In early 2023, severe leaf-yellowing and wilting of Cavendish banana plants was observed on Cavendish banana plants at several small holder farmer properties in Grande Comoros (Ngazidja) including in Ntsinimoipanga (-11,790054 S, 43°25'47,04384 E), Batou (-11,499716 S, 43°21'51,71976''E), Madjeweni (-11,8217 S , 43°16'41''E) and Mdé (-11°41'54'' S, 43°15'20''E). When the pseudostems of these plants were split open, a reddish-brown internal discoloration of the vascular tissue became apparent. Discolored strands of diseased plants were collected, and the causal agent identified using DNA-based techniques, vegetative compatibility group (VCG) analysis and pathogenicity testing. The samples were plated onto potato dextrose agar and single-spored and isolated from individual diseased plants identified as F. oxysporum based on cultural and morphological characteristics. These include the production of white fungal colonies with a purple center, infrequent production of macroconidia, but an abundance of microconidia on short monophialides, and terminal or intercalary chlamydospores (Leslie and Summerell, 2006). Foc TR4 was identified from seven isolates by conventional (Dita et al., 2010) and quantitative-PCR (Matthews et al., 2020), and with loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) (Ordóñez et al., 2021). All seven isolates were confirmed as members of the VCG 01213/16 complex when nit-1 mutants of the unknown Foc isolates were compatible with Nit-M mutants of the Foc VCG 01213 and VCG 01216 tester strains. Two isolates were then selected for pathogenicity testing, and 2-month-old tissue culture-derived Cavendish plants (cv. Williams) inoculated by using the method described by Ndayihanzamaso et al. (2022). After 4 weeks, the Foc TR4-inoculated plants produced wilting symptoms and internal rhizome discoloration typical of Fusarium wilt. Foc TR4 was reisolated from the inoculated plants and identified by qPCR (Matthews et al. 2020), thereby fulfilling Koch's postulates. These results provide scientific proof of the presence of Foc TR4 in a second island in the Comoros archipelago. Comprehensive surveys will be conducted in all three of the Comoros Islands to assess the presence and impact of Foc TR4 to implement containment strategies. Collaborative initiatives and coordinated actions among growers and other stakeholders are needed to prevent the spread of Foc TR4 to more Southwest Indian Ocean islands and countries on the East African coasts. The importance of banana for food security and livelihoods, and the unique genetic diversity of bananas found on the Comoros islands, requires the eradication and isolation of diseased bananas on the short term, and the screening of local banana varieties for Foc TR4 resistance on the longer term.

Regional- to district-scale controls on thermal springs occurrence in South Africa: Insights from investigations of their spatial distribution and their spatial relationships with geological features

In the study presented here, the spatial distribution of thermal springs in South Africa was investigated using point distribution analysis, fractal analysis and Fry analysis, and the thermal springs’ spatial relationships with high-heat-producing granitoids (HHPGs), groundwater yield, and structural lineaments were investigated using distance distribution analysis. The purpose of these spatial investigations was to explore the regional- to district-scale geological controls on thermal springs occurrence in South Africa. The results show that regional- to district-scale geological controls on thermal springs occurrence in South Africa involve the presence of or proximity to HHPGs (as heat source control), groundwater yield of ∼2 L/s (as water source control) and intersections of structural lineaments with particular trends (as pathways control). In southern and eastern South Africa, the pathways controls are, respectively, intersections of ENE-trending lineaments with NNW- and NW-trending lineaments and intersections of ENE- and WNW-trending lineaments. This spatial information comprises a conceptual model that can be used as a framework for regional- to district-scale predictive modeling and mapping of the prospectivity (or likelihood) of areas where geothermal resources potentially exist in South Africa.

Goals of Restoration Ecology and the Role of Grasses in the Processes as Seen in Southeastern Africa Restoration Projects

The goals of a “restoration” programme are often not clearly defined, which may radically influence the course of the change effected by the “restoration”. In this paper, I examine many restoration studies worldwide, the goals and the practice that was followed. Grasses often play an important role in both the succession and restoration processes. In Johannesburg, South Africa, wind-blown dust caused by gold mining was a problem in the early 20th century, so the goal was to stabilise the tailings. This was achieved by establishing vegetation on the dumps or revegetation of the land on which the tailings were deposited. Stabilisation of the Cape Flats was the goal in the late 19th century to allow easy movement along sandy roads in the region and marram grass was introduced from Europe specifically for this purpose. Revegetation with a different vegetation type is often a logical option where land use is of paramount importance. Replacement with crop plants or grasses is where the previous vegetation is replaced by an alternative land use that will be of benefit to the local people. The terms “rehabilitation” and “restoration” are often used interchangeably. Early researchers on the subject pointed out that rehabilitation is on the trajectory to full restoration or the original former state of the degraded site. In this review, the rehabilitation processes are discussed following dune mining in South Africa and at sites in Mozambique.

The Greater Midlands—A Mid-Elevation Centre of Floristic Endemism in Summer-Rainfall Eastern South Africa

The Midlands region of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province in South Africa was hitherto a putative centre of floristic endemism (CFE) based on conjecture. The aim of this study was to empirically explore this concept by delineating unambiguous boundaries for this CFE and documenting the endemic spermatophytes within a conservation framework. The Greater Midlands Centre of Floristic Endemism (GMCFE), a more expanded study area than the parochial Midlands region of KZN, is formally described as southern Africa’s 20th CFE. It is a mid-elevation region occupying the greater Midlands of KZN, with extensions of contiguous grasslands extending northwards into southern Mpumalanga and southwards into north-eastern Eastern Cape. This “foothills” CFE covers ca. 77,000 km2 of predominantly mesic C4 grassland, ranging in elevation from ca. 700–2200 m a.s.l. It is congruent with the “sub-escarpment ecoregion,” essentially a composite of the Sub-escarpment Grassland and Savanna Bioregions and the sub-escarpment grasslands of southern Mpumalanga and northern KZN. The GMCFE hosts at least 220 endemic spermatophytes, of which almost a fifth belong to the family Apocynaceae. Families Asteraceae, Asphodelaceae, Fabaceae, and Iridaceae also contribute significantly. Genera Ceropegia, Aloe, Dierama, Kniphofia, Helichrysum, and Streptocarpus contribute the most endemics. More than half are forbs, and almost three-quarters are confined to the Grassland Biome. Endemic radiations are attributed to geodiversity and geological complexity (especially the strong lithological influence of dolerite); physiographic heterogeneity (particularly elevation gradients and variable terrain units); strategic proximity to hyper-diverse temperate and subtropical “border floras”; and localized pollinator-driven adaptive radiations. Of alarming concern is the high number of threatened plant taxa, with ca. 60% of the endemic flora Red Listed in threat categories (CE, E, and VU) or considered “rare”. Extremely low levels of formal protection and poor ecological connectivity, coupled with high levels of land transformation and intensive utilization, render the GMCFE one of the most imperilled CFE in South Africa. Urgent conservation action is required to safeguard this unique and highly threatened “rangeland flora” and stem the biodiversity crisis gripping the region.

Rediscovery of the dinoflagellate genus Pavillardia Kofoid & Swezy and its synonymy with Gyrodinium Kofoid & Swezy (Dinophyceae)

Amongst the dinoflagellates, the heterotrophic unarmoured species are the group that has received less attention. The species Gyrodinium postmaculatum, G. rubricaudatum and the genus Pavillardia remain unreported since the original description in 1921. During on-board observations of living plankton in the Agulhas Current in the continental shelf off eastern South Africa, we observed individuals that fit with the description of Pavillardia, G. postmaculatum and G. rubricaudatum, and other intermediate forms. The posterior extension of Pavillardia tentaculifera was not movable, it detached and the cell remained viable. The diagnoses of G. postmaculatum and G. rubricaudatum were based on red colouration, but this feature was highly variable. Pavillardia devoid of the posterior extension is indistinguishable from G. postmaculatum. There are no significant differences in the morphology among Pavillardia tentaculifera, G. postmaculatum, and G. rubricaudatum. Pavillardia is considered a synonym of Gyrodinium, and the name G. postmaculatum is proposed for these three species.

Seven new narrowly endemic species of Gulella Pfeiffer, 1856 from eastern South Africa (Gastropoda, Streptaxidae) and status revision for another

Seven new species of very small Gulella Pfeiffer, 1856 are described from two regions in the interior of south-eastern South Africa within the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot. In addition, the status of Gulella darglensis benthodon van Bruggen, 1980 is revised and raised to species level. All species are very small-shelled and are narrow-range endemics. Six species, G. judithmastersae sp. nov., G. kevincolei sp. nov., G. hlathikhulu sp. nov., G. nkandla sp. nov., G. mystica sp. nov. and G. libertas sp. nov. are each known from only one locality. The first two as well as G. benthodon and G. mcmasteri sp. nov. are found only in the Amathole Mountains, where poaching, illegal harvesting of plant products and uncontrolled access of cattle take place, including in protected areas. The other four species each occur at one locality in north-central KwaZulu-Natal. The localities of three of the last-mentioned species are in protected areas although they are isolated and surrounded by a heavily transformed cultural landscape rendering enforcement of conservation legislation a challenge. Six species occur in nature reserves, highlighting the importance of small pockets of protected habitat for the conservation of terrestrial snails.

Analysis of Land Use/Cover Changes and Driving Forces in a Typical Subtropical Region of South Africa

Land use/cover change (LULCC) is an integral part of global environmental change and is influenced by both natural and socioeconomic factors. This study aims to comprehensively analyze land use and land cover (LULC) in Kwazulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces in eastern South Africa from 1995 to 2020 and to identify the driving force behind LULCC. Utilizing Landsat series satellite imagery as a data source and based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and eCognition software 9.0, two different classification methods, pixel-based classification and object-oriented classification, were adopted to gather LULC data every five years. The spatiotemporal characteristics of the data were then analyzed. Using an optimal parameter-based geodetector (OPGD), this study explored the driving factors of LULCC in this region. The results show the following: (1) Of the two classification methods examined, the object-oriented classification had higher accuracy, with an overall accuracy of 80–90%. The pixel-based classification had lower accuracy, with an overall accuracy of 62.33–72.14%. (2) From 1995 to 2020, the area of farmland in the study area showed a fluctuating increase, while the areas of forest and grassland declined annually. The area of constructed land increased annually, whereas the areas of water and unused land fluctuated over time. (3) Socioeconomic factors generally had greater explanatory power than natural factors, with population growth and economic development being the main drivers of LULCC in the region. This study provides a reliable scientific basis for the formulation of sustainable land resource development strategies in the area, as well as for the management and implementation of urban and rural planning, ecological protection, and environmental governance by relevant departments.

Rise of Marburg virus in Africa: a call for global preparedness.

The Marburg virus disease (MVD) is caused by a rare RNA virus that can result in severe hemorrhagic fever in humans and other primates. The disease was first discovered in 1967 in Marburg Frankfurt in Germany and since then, sporadic cases have been reported in southeastern Africa. The Egyptian fruit bat is considered a reservoir for the virus, which can be transmitted through direct contact with infected bat or monkey tissue, bodily fluids, or contaminated objects. The Marburg virus disease shares clinical features with the Ebola virus disease, and there are no widely accepted vaccines or antiviral medications to treat it. The article provides an overview of Marburg virus (MARV) outbreaks in Africa, including the most recent outbreaks in Guinea, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, and Tanzania. The authors discuss the recent outbreaks and the implications of the spread of MARV to Africa's healthcare systems. The authors also present key recommendations for both multicountry and global preparedness efforts in order to better prevent and respond to future MARV outbreaks and other viruses with an epidemic potential.

Engagement of Educators in Private Family Business Schools: The Role of a Healthy Leadership Environment

Educators play a crucial role in youth preparation, education, work, and life. They manage classroom environments, engage learners, and act as leaders. The public education system in South Africa is facing a crisis, with private family business schools (PFBSs) emerging. Educators in South Africa face challenges in youth preparation, education, work, and life, requiring a healthy leadership environment to manage classroom environments and engage learners. Thus, a healthy leadership environment is essential for educators to feel involved in their work. However, low employee engagement levels can lead to economic challenges such as unemployment, poverty, and inequality, exacerbated by illiteracy. This paper summarises the arguments and counterarguments within the scientific discussion on the issue of the significance of apt leadership for employee engagement. The aim of the paper was to examine the extent to which leadership predicts levels of engagement of educators in private family business schools. The relevance of this scientific study is that it gives key information to leaders in private family business schools on how leadership is paramount for educators to be engaged. The investigation of the topic in this study is carried out in the following logical sequence: Introduction, literature review, methodology, data analysis and results, discussion, recommendations, conclusion, limitations, future research, acknowledgements and research funding and references. The study followed an explanatory, non-experimental research design using a positivist research paradigm and approached this study from a unique axiology, ontology, epistemology, technique, and rhetorical stance that set the tone for ontological, epistemological, methodological, axiological, and rhetorical positions. Using a census sampling technique, data was collected using structured, self-administered, emailed, and drop-off questionnaires. This study’s hypothesis was tested using appropriate inferential statistics. Non-parametric analysis techniques were used to test the research hypothesis. The research empirically confirms and theoretically proves that leadership predicts engagement levels of educators in PFBSs. The results of the study can be helpful to leaders in private family business schools in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa and other regions of the world.

“If He Is Converted”: A New Spanish Featherwork Ecce Homo in Southeastern Africa

In recent years, scholars have paid increasing attention to the material, spiritual, and collecting histories of both pre-invasion and colonial New Spanish (Mexican) featherworks. Rapidly and globally disseminated through religious and family networks, these objects traveled from Mexico to Spain, and other locations, before the end of the sixteenth century. This article explores the little-known history of a devotional featherwork Ecce Homo sent from Portugal to southeastern Africa in 1569. Originally a gift to Sebastian I of Portugal sent from the Spanish-colonized Americas, the Ecce Homo later entered the collection of Catherine of Austria, Sebastian’s grandmother. Catherine presented it to the Jesuits accompanying the Portuguese evangelizing and gold-seeking mission to Mutapa, a vast kingdom that encompassed parts of present-day Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Its intended recipient was the Mutapa emperor. However, this was not a gift meant to grease the wheels of diplomacy, nor was it designated as a tool for conversion: it was, instead, meant for the Mutapa emperor “se se convertese”—if he is converted. That is, it was conceived as a gift from one Catholic monarch to another, for use in personal devotion. The perceived spiritual efficacy of these feather images —themselves recently assimilated to Catholic Iberia from polytheistic Mesomerica—thus extended well beyond the transatlantic Iberian realms.

Addressing the rights and well‐being of domestic workers in Africa: Status in Malawi

AbstractDomestic work continues to contribute to employment in most developing countries significantly. Over 75.6 million people are domestic workers worldwide, three‐quarters of whom are women. In Africa, many people still rely on domestic work for employment, making up 2.2% of the total workforce on the continent. With a predominant presence in the sub‐Saharan region, Africa's domestic workforce is estimated at around 9.6 million. Mirroring the global trend, most workers are women, with an estimated 15.8% of Africa's paid female employees being domestic workers. This considerable presence of domestic work contributes to domestic and intra‐continental migration in Africa, where about 80% of the domestic workers are from within. The Southern African region is a major intra‐continent destination for most workers. In Malawi, domestic labour is also common and is one of the country's primary sources of jobs, especially for poor populations who often domestically migrate from rural to urban areas. However, country estimates for the total number of domestic workers are yet to be published. Although there have been improved work conditions for domestic workers in some countries worldwide, the situation is different in many African nations, including Malawi. Domestic workers still face underpayment, long working hours, physical and psychological ill‐treatment from employers, challenging, harsh working environments and lack of access to healthcare. We discuss the status of the well‐being of domestic workers in Malawi, a country in southeastern Africa. We note that the working conditions for domestic workers continue to be unfavourable, with physical and psychological abuse and other human rights violations. To improve the well‐being and working conditions of domestic workers, government and non‐governmental organisations should, among other things, facilitate programmes to root out poverty, strengthen the legal framework that addresses domestic worker abuse and ensure social protection, including healthcare protection.

A generic monograph of the Hyacinthaceae subfamily Urgineoideae

Taxonomy and systematics and specifically the generic circumscription of the Hyacinthaceae subfamily Urgineoideae have been a matter of controversy in recent decades. Widely contrasting taxonomic treatments have been proposed, ranging from systems comprising only two genera (including a morphologically very variable Drimia covering nearly the whole subfamily) to about 20 genera based mainly on preliminary phylogenetic studies supporting recognition of traditionally accepted and morphologically distinct genera such as Litanthus, Schizobasis, Tenicroa, and Thuranthos. All previous studies covered only a limited diversity and distribution of the subfamily, precluding comprehensive insight into the evolution of the diversity within the subfamily. Based on detailed morphological, phylogenetic, and biogeographic studies in Urgineoideae, covering its whole distribution range and most of the currently known species, we present a new taxomic treatment of the subfamily focusing on the circumscription of genera. Our analyses revealed 31 phylogenetic lineages corroborating unique syndromes of morphological characters linked to well-defined biogeographic patterns. These lineages are interpreted as well-defined genera. An identification key to the genera is provided to facilitate further taxonomic work in Urgineoideae and morphological descriptions of the accepted genera are presented. Two new genera, Spirophyllos gen. nov. and Zulusia gen. nov., are described to accommodate newly revealed phylogenetic lineages from northwestern and southeastern Africa, respectively. Further, a complete list of taxa included in the accepted genera is presented, providing details on typification, and the 50 new combinations, and one new name required to appropriately accomodate taxa in the new taxonomic treatment.

The first Miocene fossils from coastal woodlands in the southern East African Rift

The Miocene was a key time in the evolution of African ecosystems witnessing the origin of the African apes and the isolation of eastern coastal forests through an expanding arid corridor. Until recently, however, Miocene sites from the southeastern regions of the continent were unknown. Here, we report the first Miocene fossil teeth from the shoulders of the Urema Rift in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. We provide the first 1) radiometric ages of the Mazamba Formation, 2) reconstructions of paleovegetation in the region based on pedogenic carbonates and fossil wood, and 3) descriptions of fossil teeth. Gorongosa is unique in the East African Rift in combining marine invertebrates, marine vertebrates, reptiles, terrestrial mammals, and fossil woods in coastal paleoenvironments. The Gorongosa fossil sites offer the first evidence of woodlands and forests on the coastal margins of southeastern Africa during the Miocene, and an exceptional assemblage of fossils including new species.

Routine use of a 3D mapping system in the ablation of supraventricular arrhythmias with as low as reasonably achievable X-ray exposure (AALARA): protocol for a prospective, observational, multicentre, multinational, open-label registry study

IntroductionThe reduction of fluoroscopic exposure during catheter ablation of supraventricular arrhythmias is widely adopted by experienced electrophysiology physicians with a relatively short learning curve and is becoming standard of care...