Nile Region Research Articles

China and the Nile River Basin: The Changing Hydropolitical Status Quo

The Nile River Basin (NRB), the world’s longest river, faces a considerable challenge of population growth, degradation and depletion, and equitable water utilisation, which have become a threat to peace and environmental security in the region. Moreover, the hydropolitical landscape of the Nile has been dominated by Egypt. However, the NRB is experiencing a change in its hydropolitical status quo. China has emerged as a financier to upstream countries’ hydropower projects, thus changing the upstream–downstream hydropolitical status quo. Although the existing governing regimes were not beneficial to upstream countries, China’s role in the Nile hydropolitics is not providing an alternative and beneficial and/or win–win cooperative framework. As a result, the environmental and political landscape of the already fragile Nile region has become threatened, thus increasing the potential for conflict. The purpose of this article is to determine, through Homer-Dixon’s environmental scarcity theory, the impact and effects of environmental scarcity in contributing to a nascent conflict. This study conceptualised Homer-Dixon’s environmental scarcity theory as a theory that argues for the potential of conflict in transboundary river basins as a result of environmental scarcity. Environmental scarcity is triggered by a combination of population growth and excessive strain on dwindling renewable resources, exacerbated by unequal access to that resource.

AIDS, Stigma, Marriage, and Economic Empowerment: Exploring Intersections of Women's Marginalization in West Nile Uganda

Deep-seated stigma continues to plague efforts to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS in much of Sub-Saharan Africa. While access to antiretroviral treatment has expanded, the spread of HIV continues to rise in the West Nile Region of Uganda. Economic empowerment programs are often heralded as a key means to address gender inequality and poverty and mollify the impacts of AIDS-related stigma. In order to assess how economic empowerment programs impact HIV-positive women's experiences with stigma, we conducted a series of focus groups with HIV-positive women involved with economic empowerment programs and interviews and focus groups with key family members of women with AIDS in West Nile Uganda. Employing an intersectional approach, we found that HIV/AIDS interrelated with particular marriage and descent practices in ways that further marginalized women. We also discovered that economic empowerment programs actively countered women's vulnerability by directly addressing the mutual influences of axes of inequality w...

Differential Antioxidative Responses to Environmental Constraints in Shoots and Roots of Wild Legumes

The current study aimed to explore the antioxidant system of five legumes inhabiting regions with different conditions. In these legumes, H2O2 generation and lipid peroxidation enhanced in roots of plants inhabiting the Mediterranean region (MR) and Sinai (S) where high soluble salts and low water content in the soil were estimated. High levels of phenols and ascorbic acid were detected in shoots of these plants compared with those inhabiting the Nile region (NR) or Oases (O), which characterized by low soluble salts and high water content. There were great variations between species in their responses to adverse conditions, and enhanced activities of antioxidant enzymes were recorded in plants inhabiting the more stressful habitats. Roots and shoots of legumes responded differentially to oxidative stresses regarding the induction of enhanced or suppressed activities of a definite antioxidative enzym. While CAT activity increased in shoots, GP activity greatly stimulated in roots of legumes at different habitats. The activity of APX decreased in roots but increased in shoots by the harsh conditions of habitate showing minimum and maximum activities in roots and shoots, respectively, in plants inhabiting S. The activity of CAT and APX increased in shoots by increasing the concentration of H2O2, while the over expression of GP gene in roots enhanced scavenging H2O2 to a level between 6% to 37% of its concentration in shoots. Genes expression of the antioxidant enzymes (CAT, GP and APX) more regulated, especially in shoots, by the environmental constraints than the differences between species.

Rat Fall Surveillance Coupled with Vector Control and Community Education as a Plague Prevention Strategy in the West Nile Region, Uganda.

.Plague, primarily a disease of rodents, is most frequently transmitted by fleas and causes potentially fatal infections in humans. In Uganda, plague is endemic to the West Nile region. Primary prevention for plague includes control of rodent hosts or flea vectors, but targeting these efforts is difficult given the sporadic nature of plague epizootics in the region and limited resource availability. Here, we present a community-based strategy to detect and report rodent deaths (rat fall), an early sign of epizootics. Laboratory testing of rodent carcasses is used to trigger primary and secondary prevention measures: indoor residual spraying (IRS) and community-based plague education, respectively. During the first 3 years of the program, individuals from 142 villages reported 580 small mammal deaths; 24 of these tested presumptive positive for Yersinia pestis by fluorescence microscopy. In response, for each of the 17 affected communities, village-wide IRS was conducted to control rodent-associated fleas within homes, and community sensitization was conducted to raise awareness of plague signs and prevention strategies. No additional presumptive Y. pestis-positive carcasses were detected in these villages within the 2-month expected duration of residual activity for the insecticide used in IRS. Despite comparatively high historic case counts, no human plague cases were reported from villages participating in the surveillance program; five cases were reported from elsewhere in the districts. We evaluate community participation and timeliness of response, report the frequency of human plague cases in participating and surrounding villages, and evaluate whether a program such as this could provide a sustainable model for plague prevention in endemic areas.

Knowledge and practices related to plague in an endemic area of Uganda

BackgroundPlague is a virulent zoonosis reported most commonly from Sub-Saharan Africa. Early treatment with antibiotics is important to prevent mortality. Understanding knowledge gaps and common behaviors informs the development of educational efforts to reduce plague mortality. MethodsA multi-stage cluster-sampled survey of 420 households was conducted in the plague-endemic West Nile region of Uganda to assess knowledge of symptoms and causes of plague and health care-seeking practices. ResultsMost (84%) respondents were able to correctly describe plague symptoms; approximately 75% linked plague with fleas and dead rats. Most respondents indicated that they would seek health care at a clinic for possible plague; however plague-like symptoms were reportedly common, and in practice, persons sought care for those symptoms at a health clinic infrequently. ConclusionsPersons in the plague-endemic region of Uganda have a high level of understanding of plague, yet topics for targeted educational messages are apparent.

Patterns of Human Plague in Uganda, 2008-2016.

Plague is a highly virulent fleaborne zoonosis that occurs throughout many parts of the world; most suspected human cases are reported from resource-poor settings in sub-Saharan Africa. During 2008–2016, a combination of active surveillance and laboratory testing in the plague-endemic West Nile region of Uganda yielded 255 suspected human plague cases; approximately one third were laboratory confirmed by bacterial culture or serology. Although the mortality rate was 7% among suspected cases, it was 26% among persons with laboratory-confirmed plague. Reports of an unusual number of dead rats in a patient’s village around the time of illness onset was significantly associated with laboratory confirmation of plague. This descriptive summary of human plague in Uganda highlights the episodic nature of the disease, as well as the potential that, even in endemic areas, illnesses of other etiologies might be being mistaken for plague.

203: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEADERSHIP STYLES AND HEALTH WORKER MOTIVATION, TEAMWORK AND JOB SATISFACTION IN HEALTH FACILITIES IN UGANDA

Background and aims:Some studies have shown that poor leadership is associated with lack of effective teamwork and a demotivated workforce leading to poor service delivery. There is scanty data in...

Cyanogenic Potential of Selected Cassava Varieties in Zombo District, Uganda

Both improved and local cassava varieties are widely grown and also, consumed in Zombo district as well as West Nile Sub region and Uganda as a whole. However, all cassava varieties contain cyanogenic glycosides which are toxic, although the amounts in each cultivar may vary considerably. Consumption of such toxins in sufficient quantities poses a health risk since they can cause acute cyanide poisoning and death in humans and animals. As such, information concerning the cyanogenic glycosides content in cassava cultivars is indispensable in averting health risks linked with cassava consumption. In this study, the cyanogenic content of the most common local cassava varieties (Bisimwenge, Nyar-anderiano, Nya-matia, Nya-pamitu, Nya-papoga and Nyar-udota) grown in Zombo district and six improved cassava varieties (NASE 3, NASE 9, NASE 14, NASE 19, TME 14 and TME 204) were investigated. Generally, the improved cassava varieties revealed lower levels (mean value was 108.75 mg/kg) of cyanogens than the local varieties (mean value was 201.65 mg/kg). The concentrations of the cyanogen in all the cultivars investigated were far above the FAO/WHO recommended value (<10 mg/kg). Hence, adequate detoxification and reduced frequency of consumption of these cassava cultivars are necessary in order to limit the ingestion of toxic levels of cyanide.

Measurements for Natural Radioactive Materials at the East &amp; West banks of The River Nile

Soil samples were collected along the East and West banks of the River Nile region starting from Bait Al-mal in the West side and the second East bank of the River Nile Shambat. Gamma radiation measurements were performed using high resolution HPGe detector with low background PC multichannel spectrometer. The gamma measurements of the soil revealed the presence of the natural long-lived radioisotopes ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K. The ranges of their activity concentrations were 3.32±1.1~6.3±2.1 Bqkg^-1, 5.61±1.7~10.76±2.13 Bqkg^-1 and 180±7.77~291±11.6 Bqkg^-1 ‘respectively’. The other factors controlling the distribution of the detected natural radioisotopes have been discussed. Absorbed dose rates have been calculated for each location with range 15.27±0.82~21.07±1.53 nGyh^-1. Also, the estimated activity utilization indexes have been presented. The ratios between the detected radioisotopes have been calculated.

Assessing demand-side barriers to uptake of intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in pregnancy: a qualitative study in two regions of Uganda.

BackgroundTo prevent malaria infection during pregnancy in endemic areas in Africa, the World Health Organization recommends the administration of intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) as part of the focused antenatal care package. However, IPTp uptake in most countries remains low despite generally high antenatal care coverage and increased efforts by governments to address known bottlenecks such as drug stock-outs. The study explored factors that continue to impede uptake of IPTp among women who attend antenatal care. This paper focuses on demand-side barriers with regard to accessibility, affordability and acceptability.MethodsThe research was conducted in 2013/2014 and involved 46 in-depth interviews with four types of respondents: (i) seven district health officials; (ii) 15 health workers; (iii) 19 women who attended antenatal care; (iv) five opinion leaders. Interviews were conducted in Eastern and West Nile regions of Uganda. Data was analysed by thematic analysis.ResultsDistrict health officials and health workers cited a range of barriers relating to knowledge and attitudes among pregnant women, including lack of awareness of pregnancy-related health risks, a tendency to initiate antenatal care late, reluctance to take medication and concerns about side effects of IPTp. However, women and opinion leaders expressed very positive views of antenatal care and IPTp. They also reported that the burden of travel and cost associated with antenatal care attendance was challenging, but did not keep them from accessing a service they perceived as beneficial. The role of trust in health workers’ expertise was highlighted by all respondents and it was reported that women will typically accept IPTp if encouraged by a health worker.ConclusionsGiven the positive views of antenatal care and IPTp, high antenatal care coverage and reported low refusal rates for IPTp, supply-side issues are likely to account for the majority of missed opportunities for the provision of IPTp when women attend antenatal care. However, to increase uptake of IPTp on the demand side, health workers should be encouraged to reassure eligible women that IPTp is safe.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-016-1589-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

ASSESSMENT OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES OF EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING AMONGST THE BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS IN ADJUMANI DISTRICT, WEST NILE.

Despite national policy guidelines advocating exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life to promote and accelerate child survival, the proportion of women exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months has remained small. To describe the knowledge and practices of mothers regarding exclusive breastfeeding in a semi-urban Ugandan population. A descriptive cross-sectional study. Semi-urban Ugandan population in four parishes in Adjumani District, the West Nile region of Uganda. The breastfeeding mothers with infants aged 3-12 months. Of the 385 breastfeeding mothers surveyed, 62.6% (241/385) and 53.5% (206/385) knew the exact meaning and the recommended duration of exclusive breastfeeding respectively. Nearly 68.6% (264/385) initiated breastfeeding within one hour after delivery and only 42.1% (162/385) exclusively breastfed their babies in the first six months of life. For the mothers who initiated non-breast milk feeds before the first six months of birth, most stated the following reasons: 'advice from the home', 'did not know the appropriate time', baby got thirsty and baby was crying at the sight of food'. This study revealed low levels of knowledge and practice of the recommended duration of exclusive breastfeeding among the breastfeeding mothers. Continuous breastfeeding awareness campaigns are needed to improve knowledge and practice of exclusive breastfeeding among breastfeeding mothers.

Quality assurance as an integral component of diagnostic testing in clinical laboratories and point-of-care testing: The Uganda experience.

No abstract available.

Comprehensive assessment of soil erosion risk for better land use planning in river basins: Case study of the Upper Blue Nile River

In the drought-prone Upper Blue Nile River (UBNR) basin of Ethiopia, soil erosion by water results in significant consequences that also affect downstream countries. However, there have been limited comprehensive studies of this and other basins with diverse agroecologies. We analyzed the variability of gross soil loss and sediment yield rates under present and expected future conditions using a newly devised methodological framework. The results showed that the basin generates an average soil loss rate of 27.5tha−1yr−1 and a gross soil loss of ca. 473Mtyr−1, of which, at least 10% comes from gully erosion and 26.7% leaves Ethiopia. In a factor analysis, variation in agroecology (average factor score=1.32) and slope (1.28) were the two factors most responsible for this high spatial variability. About 39% of the basin area is experiencing severe to very severe (>30tha−1yr−1) soil erosion risk, which is strongly linked to population density. Severe or very severe soil erosion affects the largest proportion of land in three subbasins of the UBNR basin: Blue Nile 4 (53.9%), Blue Nile 3 (45.1%), and Jema Shet (42.5%). If appropriate soil and water conservation practices targeted ca. 77.3% of the area with moderate to severe erosion (>15tha−1yr−1), the total soil loss from the basin could be reduced by ca. 52%. Our methodological framework identified the potential risk for soil erosion in large-scale zones, and with a more sophisticated model and input data of higher spatial and temporal resolution, results could be specified locally within these risk zones. Accurate assessment of soil erosion in the UBNR basin would support sustainable use of the basin's land resources and possibly open up prospects for cooperation in the Eastern Nile region.

Enhancing resilience of farmer seed system to climate-induced stresses: Insights from a case study in West Nile region, Uganda

Given the challenges facing African agriculture resulting from climate-induced stresses, building resilience is a priority. Seed systems are important for enhancing such resilience as seed security has direct links to food security, and resilient livelihoods in general. Using data from a case study in West Nile region in Uganda, we studied practices in farmer seed systems and decisions, particularly in response to climate-induced stress. Results helped to generate recommendations for enhancing seed system resilience. We used social-ecological framework and multinomial logit model to analyze seed systems and factors influencing farmers' decisions about seed use respectively. Farmers ranked drought as the most important climate factor affecting crop production. With over 50% of farmer seed sourced on farm, the effect of climate factors on seed system functioning was perceived in relation to diminishing levels in quantity and quality of yield. Decline in yield affected farmer seed saving, increased grain prices due to high demand, affecting seed availability and affordability. The relative importance of seed sources varied during normal and stress periods, and by crop. Farmers tended to shift from farm-saved seed to social networks and local markets during stress periods. Local Seed Businesses emerged as an alternative source of planting material during stress periods. Formal seed enterprises were important in delivering improved seed, especially for maize, though their importance during stress periods diminished. Farmer characteristics and ecological factors played a role in defining the type of seed used, though their significance varied by crop. We recommend an approach that integrates farmer seed systems with the formal system in general, but specifically focusing on strengthening social networks, promoting farmer seed enterprises and crop adaptation practices at farm scale.

EFFECT OF ASWAN HIGH DAM (AHD) STORAGE ON THE INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES IN EGYP

Nile River is the world longest river by adding its tributaries which reach 6850 km. The Nile basin covers about 10% of Africa where the basin area reaches 3106 km2 and spread over 11 countries Burundi, Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, North and South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. The comparison between Nile and other major rivers such as Amazon, Congo, Mississippi, Mekong, Zambezi, and Rhine shows that the discharged water from Nile basin is very small relative to the basin area. Also, it shows that fast water demand increases and multiple uses for the basin countries specially Egypt and Sudan which classified as arid regions. So it is very important to study the problem of integrated water resources management in the Nile basin under different operation scenarios and rules taking into considerations the decrease of storage volumes in Lake Nasser resulting from sediment action in the lake and its effects on water shortage in Lower Nile region, Also considering study of the shortage values due to decrease of natural flow arriving Aswan because of construction of storage projects upstream of AHD. The complexity of the nature and economic system within a river basin makes it difficult to plan and design an optimal operation program. Modeling may be helpful in accounting for all relevant components comprising a river basin and addressing various planning and management objectives and activities. In the present paper, the adopted methodology to study the effect of Aswan High Dam (AHD) storage on the integrated water resources planning and management of Egypt will be presented and discussed

Composition and pattern of alien species in the Egyptian flora

The present study aims to determine the alien and invasive species in the Egyptian flora, their origin and lags between the time of the first record and that of rapid growth. A list of alien species was prepared from literature, field trips and herbaria. The national distribution was gathered from the literature, while the global distribution was assessed according to the system of Good who divided the globe into six kingdoms, three subkingdoms and thirty nine floristic regions. The year of the first record was detected by searching in the references, and sometimes by checking herbarium sheets deposited in national herbaria. The final list included 136 species classified into three categories: 49 casuals, 81 naturalized and 6 invasive species. Most of these species occur in the Nile region (108 species=79%) mainly due to the increasing human activities. Four natural and eight anthropogenic habitats were supporting the distribution of these species. Many of these species belong to the Boreal and Palaeotropical Kingdoms. Forty nine species matched with each of the periods of 1850–1900 and 1950–2000. Time lags of the invasive species ranged between 15 (Azolla filiculoides) and 181 years (Dalbergia sissoo). The dynamic patterns of alien species over a long period (≥500years) as well as the role of hybridization in their spreading will be assessed in a future study.

Active surveillance for human plague in Northwestern Uganda, 2008-2014

Background: Plague is a life-threatening flea-borne zoonosis caused by Yersinia pestis. Over 95% of cases worldwide are reported from rural Africa. In Uganda, the active plague foci remains in West Nile region bordering Democratic Republic of Congo. To better define the epidemiology, clinical features, and outcome of human plague in Uganda, several surveillance strategies and networks used have significantly reduced morbidity and mortality. Methods & Materials: Active surveillance, coupled with central laboratory support, was established in 10 clinics and 2 hospitals in the endemic West Nile region. Community awareness was enhanced though training of Village Health Team workers and a small number of traditional healers. For surveillance purposes, a suspect plague case was defined as rapid onset of fever and painful lymphadenopathy or hemoptysis. A confirmed case was defined as a suspect case with isolation of Y. pestis from a clinical specimen (blood, bubo aspirate, or sputum) confirmed by phage lysis, or a 4-fold increase in anti-F1 antibody titers. A probable case was defined as a suspect case epidemiological linked to a laboratory-confirmed case. Results: A total of 256 cases were identified during January 2008 – March 2014, including 75 laboratory confirmed and 25 probable cases. The number of cases per full year ranged from a high of 153 in 2008 to a low of 6 in 2014. Median patient age was 11 years (range <1-70 yrs); 53% were female. Overall, 217 patients had bubonic, 20 septicemic, and 18 pneumonic forms of plague. Among 254 patients with a documented outcome, 26% (26/100) with confirmed or probable plague died, as compared with 8% (12/154) of those with suspect plague. Mortality among patients with pneumonic plague was 44% (8/18) overall, and 55% (5/9) for those with confirmed pneumonic plague. Antimicrobials used for treatment included doxycycline, gentamycin, chloramphenicol, co-trimoxazole, and ciprofloxacin. Forty-nine (19.6%) cases were outbreak-related. Conclusion: Plague remains a public health concern in the West Nile region of Uganda. Although most cases are bubonic and sporadic, small outbreak of pneumonic plague with person-to-person transmission do occur, with the potential for larger outbreaks. Mechanisms to enhance prompt referral, rapid diagnosis, and effective antimicrobial treatment are needed to reduce mortality.

Two Distinct Yersinia pestis Populations Causing Plague among Humans in the West Nile Region of Uganda.

BackgroundPlague is a life-threatening disease caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis. Since the 1990s, Africa has accounted for the majority of reported human cases. In Uganda, plague cases occur in the West Nile region, near the border with Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite the ongoing risk of contracting plague in this region, little is known about Y. pestis genotypes causing human disease.Methodology/Principal FindingsDuring January 2004–December 2012, 1,092 suspect human plague cases were recorded in the West Nile region of Uganda. Sixty-one cases were culture-confirmed. Recovered Y. pestis isolates were analyzed using three typing methods, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and multiple variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) and subpopulations analyzed in the context of associated geographic, temporal, and clinical data for source patients. All three methods separated the 61 isolates into two distinct 1.ANT lineages, which persisted throughout the 9 year period and were associated with differences in elevation and geographic distribution.Conclusions/SignificanceWe demonstrate that human cases of plague in the West Nile region of Uganda are caused by two distinct 1.ANT genetic subpopulations. Notably, all three typing methods used, SNPs, PFGE, and MLVA, identified the two genetic subpopulations, despite recognizing different mutation types in the Y. pestis genome. The geographic and elevation differences between the two subpopulations is suggestive of their maintenance in highly localized enzootic cycles, potentially with differing vector-host community composition. This improved understanding of Y. pestis subpopulations in the West Nile region will be useful for identifying ecologic and environmental factors associated with elevated plague risk.

Metafrontier Analysis of Technical Efficiency of Wheat Farms in Sudan

&lt;p&gt;The major objective of this study is to estimate the technical efficiencies and technological gap of wheat farms in the major wheat producing areas of Sudan, namely Northern, River Nile, Gezira, and Kassala States of Sudan. A total sample of 951 wheat farms was selected and surveyed in the whole country during 2013. Non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model has been applied to measure the technical efficiency and technological gaps among the regions by means of metafrontier approach. Results show that there is significant inefficiency in wheat farms. The estimated average technical efficiencies with respect to group frontiers for Gezira, Kassala, Northern and River Nile are: 0.52, 0.61, 0.48 and 0.41, respectively. The average technological gap ratios for Gezira, Kassala, Northern and River Nile were 0.82, 0.50, 0.75 and 0.92, respectively. Therefore, the Kassala farms frontier has the most distant to the metafrontier, while the Gezira, Northern and River Nile frontiers have the closest. Our results suggest that farms in the Gezira, Northern, and River Nile regions could improve their productivity through more efficient use of inputs using the existing technologies such as sowing, fertilizer application, irrigation water scheduling, and harvesting at the right time. In contrast, improved technologies generation and dissemination such as integrated pest management in the Kassala region are required to improve wheat productivity.&lt;/p&gt;

Performance of elite grain sorghum varieties in the West Nile Agro-ecological Zones

Grain Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is the fifth most important cereal in the world and third most important cereal crop in Uganda. In the West Nile region of Uganda, it is the most important cereal crop. Ten pre-released sorghum varieties, acquired from the National Semi- Arid Resources Research Institute, were evaluated on-station at Abi Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute during the second rainy seasons of 2011 and 2013 to identify suitable lines for the region. The four most promising varieties in 2011 were further evaluated in 2012 and 2013 under five different spacings namely; 60 cm×20 cm, 45 cm×20 cm, 35 cm×20 cm, 25 cm×20 cm and 15 cm×20 cm. Sorghum lines evaluated significantly differed in grain yields (P<0.05). All parameters were significantly (P<0.05) affected by spacing, except days to 50% flowering and number of tillers. The best yielding varieties were GAO9/25(1,975 kg ha -1 ) and GA06/33 (1,637 kg ha -1 ) and the least yielding was NASECO (38.7 kg ha -1 ) and Epuripuri (31.3 kg ha -1 ). The 35 cm x 20 cm spacing resulted in the highest yield (2,740.7 kg ha -1 ) and is recommended for sorghum growing in West Nile region. Key words : Flowering, Sorghum bicolor, spacing