North Bank Region Research Articles

Phytochemical Constituents of Sap, Root and Leaf Extracts of Calotropis Procera from Select Regions in the Gambia

Medicinal plants serve as potential cure for animal and human diseases as they contain phytochemicals for therapeutic values. Most of the modern drugs produced are isolated from herbal plants. This research reports on the phytochemical constituents of the methanolic and dichloromethane (DCM) extracts of the sap, root and leaf of Calotropis procera in three select regions in The Gambia namely the West Coast Region, North Bank Region, and Lower River Region. The sap was collected in an air-tight test tube; the root and leaf were dried at room temperature for three weeks and one month, respectively and further ground into powder. Soxhlet extraction of the sap was done using both DCM for 30 minutes at 40oC to 50oC and methanol for 3 h at 60oC to 70oC. The root and leaf were extracted using cold maceration for 72 h. The methanolic extracts showed the presence of alkaloids, quinones, saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, and carbohydrates in the sap and leaf. Quinones were present in the DCM extract of the sap and root, but absent in the leaf. While flavonoids and terpenoids were present in the sap and leaf extracts, they were absent in the root. Alkaloids, saponins, and steroids were absent in the sap and root extracts, but found in the leaf. Tannins and phenols were absent in both the methanolic and DCM extracts. The results of each of the samples collected at the three different regions were similar in their phytochemical constituents for the extracting solvents; but varied with the different solvent. The findings of this research allude to the fact that the sap, root and leaf of C. procera are good sources of therapeutic compounds that are responsible for the use of this plant in herbal medicine in The Gambia.

Morbidity pattern based on clinico-biochemical profile of neonates admitted in NICU of a tertiary care hospital in the mid north bank region of Assam

The neonatal period carries the highest risk of death per day compared to any other period during childhood. Of all newborn deaths three fourths result from three preventable and treatable conditions– complications due to prematurity, intrapartum related deaths (including birth asphyxia) and neonatal infections. The study was to describe the morbidity pattern with outcome, based on clinical diagnosis and relevant biochemical parameters amongst neonates admitted in NICU in the tertiary care hospital. A retrospective case record analysis of all the NICU admissions between January 2021 to March 2021 was done based on both electronic and hard data. The neonates with complete records of clinical presentation, relevant biochemical investigations were included in the study. Out of 624 neonates admitted in NICU during the study period, 622 were included in the final analysis. The proportion of fullterm and preterm among inborns (77.6% &18.8%) and outborns (76.2% & 21.8%) were similar, but the proportion of low-birth-weight babies in outborns was higher than in the inborns. The overall discharge rate was 85.5%. It was higher for inborn neonates as compared to outborn neonates (88.7% vs 79%). The death rate was higher in outborns than in inborns. The highest no of NICU admission was due to asphyxia related conditions followed by neonatal jaundice in both genders and in all inborn and outborn neonates. Out of total admissions in NICU, 72(11.6%) was due to infections causing neonatal sepsis, meningitis and acquired pneumonia. While neonatal jaundice has a lower mortality rate, preventable conditions like birth asphyxia and infections remain major concerns for neonatal morbidity and mortality in this region. The study emphasizes the need for strengthened antenatal care, improved infection control, and increased access to trained neonatologists to ensure better outcomes for newborns.

Covid-19 vaccine uptake and its associated factors among rural households in The Gambia: a community-based cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the globe in all spheres of human life: physical health, mental health, economic burden, and social lives. Population-based vaccination is considered one of the core global response strategies for the containment of Covid-19 across regions, including developing countries. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of Covid 19 vaccine uptake and the factors associated with it among rural dwellers in the North Bank Region (NBR) of The Gambia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study design was used in the NBR from 1st to 10th October 2021. The study was carried out among 504 rural households across districts in the NBR through a multistage sampling procedure. Structured interviews were used to generate data for this study. Chi-square/Fisher exact tests, as well as logistic regression analysis, were used to examine the associations, with statistical significance set at a p-value <0.05 and the computed adjusted odds ratio (aOR) set at a 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Covid-19 vaccination prevalence uptake was 44%, out of which 87% received Johnson while 13% received AstraZeneca vaccines. In terms of associated factors, males [aOR: 2.728, 95% CI (1.638 - 4.542)] and those at the senior secondary educational level [aOR: 4.525, 95% CI (1.272 - 16.098)] were more likely to utilize Covid-19 vaccines. However, other factors such as being Wollof by ethnicity [aOR: 0.334, 95% CI (0.132 - 0.845)], those who earned D1,000 – D4,999 [aOR: 0.125, 95% CI (0.029 - 0.541)], D5,000 – D9,999 [aOR: 0.096, 95% CI (0.021 - 0.440)], those who tested for Covid-19 vaccines [aOR: 0.227, 95% CI (0.121 - 0.428)], and those who travelled outside the country [aOR: 0.576, 95% CI (0.367 - 0.904)] were less likely to utilize Covid-19 vaccines after controlling for confounders. CONCLUSION: The study revealed a low Covid-19 vaccine uptake in the region, with associated factors including gender, ethnicity, and educational level. There is a need for social and political commitment in the drive to increase vaccine uptake across the country. Target-specific messaging for the population should be developed in local languages across media outlets in The Gambia.

Geo-spatial analysis of drought in The Gambia using multiple models

Climate change has made The Gambia vulnerable to drought hazard. Variability and negative trends in rainfall quantity and mid-season dry spells mainly attributed to the impacts of climate change. The inadequacy in hydrometeorological information puts the agricultural sector at a high risk which employs over 70% of the population. The aim of this study was to establish the intensity and spatiotemporal pattern of drought in The Gambia from 2000 to 2020 using multiple drought indices. Rainfall data, satellite images, and government policy documents were analyzed to determine the state of drought in The Gambia. Rainfall data, using Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Precipitation Anomaly Percentage (PAP) were calculated and interpolated, and satellite images were processed using Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) to determine drought intensity and spatial distribution. The findings revealed that drought exists in The Gambia at moderate levels of SPI values (− 1.00 to − 1.49), (35% of PAP), and VCI of no drought intensity of more than 35%. The most drought prone areas in The Gambia are North Bank Region and Eastern parts of country in both north and south of The Gambia River banks. Recommendations of adaptation practice both on-farm and off-farm such as damming and economic diversification was drawn from other parts of the world, to reduce the negative effects of drought hazard in The Gambia.

BIRTH ASPHYXIA, HYPERBILIRUBINEMIA AND MORTALITY AMONG NEONATES ADMITTED IN NICU OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL OF ASSAM: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY.

Introduction: Most of the neonatal deaths are related to three preventable and treatable conditions like complications due to prematurity, asphyxia and infections. Globally birth asphyxia is still a major clinical problem and one of the leading causes of perinatal and neonatal mortality and morbidity especially in developing countries leading to lifelong disability. Neonatal jaundice can also cause damages like impaired vision and hearing along with learning disabilities apart from contributing to neonatal deaths. Therefore, this retrospectiveMethods And Objective: descriptive study was planned with the aim to determine the prole of those neonates who developed asphyxia, hyperbilirubinaemia and expired in NICU of a tertiary care hospital in the Mid North Bank region of Assam. During the study period, out of 622, 204 neonates hadResults: birth/perinatal asphyxia and HIE due to asphyxia and 47 neonates died during the same period. Birth asphyxia accounted for 59.6% of death and 12.8% neonates who died with birth asphyxia also had Serum bilirubin level higher than 10mg/dl.

Botanical Composition and Nutritive Value of Forage Species on Rangeland at North Bank Region, The Gambia

Botanical Composition and Nutritive Value of Forage Species on Rangeland at North Bank Region, The Gambia

Species diversity and distribution of schistosome intermediate snail hosts in The Gambia.

There is a need for recent information on intermediate snail hosts of schistosomes in The Gambia; the previous studies were conducted over three decades ago. This study assessed the incidence, species diversity, distribution and infection status of schistosome intermediate snail hosts in the country. Malacological surveys were conducted in all 5 regions of The Gambia: Central River Region (CRR), Upper River Region (URR), Western Region (WR), Lower River Region (LRR) and North Bank Region (NBR). Sampling of snails was undertaken at 114 sites that included permanent water bodies such as streams (bolongs), rice fields, irrigation canals and swamps; and temporal (seasonal) laterite pools. Ecological and physicochemical factors of sites were recorded. Snails were identified morphologically and screened for schistosome infections using molecular techniques. Freshwater snails were found at more than 50% (60/114) of sites sampled. While three species of Bulinus were collected, no Biomphalaria snails were found in any of the sites sampled. Of the total 2877 Bulinus snails collected, 75.9% were identified as Bulinus senegalensis, 20.9% as Bulinus forskalii and 3.2% as Bulinus truncatus. Seasonal pools produced the largest number of snails, and CRR was the region with the largest number of snails. Bulinus senegalensis was found more in seasonal pools as opposed to permanent sites, where B. forskalii and B. truncatus were observed to thrive. Bulinus snails were more common in seasonal sites where aquatic vegetation was present. In permanent sites, the abundance of snails increased with increase in water temperature and decrease in water pH. Bulinus senegalensis was found infected with both S. haematobium and S. bovis, while B. forskalii and B. truncatus had only S. bovis infection. While the human parasite S. haematobium was restricted to just four sites, the livestock parasite S. bovis had a much more widespread geographical distribution across both CRR and URR. This new information on the distribution of intermediate snail hosts of schistosomes in The Gambia will be vital for the national schistosomiasis control initiative.

The Community Lab of Ideas for Health: Community-Based Transdisciplinary Solutions in a Malaria Elimination Trial in The Gambia.

Background: Community participation in global health interventions may improve outcomes and solve complex health issues. Although numerous community participatory approaches have been developed and introduced, there has been little focus on “how” and “who” to involve in the implementation of community-based clinical trials where unequal distribution of power between implementers and communities pre-exists. Addressing how to achieve community-based solutions in a malaria elimination trial in The Gambia, we developed the Community Lab of Ideas for Health (CLIH): a participatory approach that enabled communities to shape trial implementation.Methods: As part of transdisciplinary research, we conducted qualitative research with in-depth interviews, discussions, and observations in 17 villages in the North Bank Region of The Gambia between March 2016 and December 2017. We designed an iterative research process involving ethnography, stakeholder-analysis, participatory-discussions, and qualitative monitoring and evaluation, whereby each step guided the next. We drew upon ethnographic results and stakeholder-analysis to identify key-informants who became participants in study design and implementation. The participatory-discussions provided a co-creative space for sharing community-centric ideas to tackle trial implementation challenges. The proposed strategies for trial implementation were continuously refined and improved through our monitoring and evaluation.Results: The CLIH incorporated communities' insights, to co-create tailored trial implementation strategies including: village health workers prescribing and distributing antimalarial treatments; “compounds” as community-accepted treatment units; medicine distribution following compound micro-politics; and appropriate modes of health message delivery. Throughout the iterative research process, the researchers and communities set the common goal, namely to curtail the medical poverty trap by reducing malaria transmission and the burden thereof. This innovative collaborative process built trust among stakeholders and fully engaged researchers and communities in co-creation and co-implementation of the trial.Discussion: The CLIH approach succeeded in touching the local realities by incorporating a spectrum of perspectives from community-members and discerning project-derived knowledge from local-knowledge. This process allowed us to co-develop locally-oriented solutions and ultimately to co-establish an intervention structure that community-members were ready and willing to use, which resulted in high uptake of the intervention (92% adherence to treatment). Successfully, the CLIH contributed in bridging research and implementation.

Prevalence and risk factors of schistosomiasis among primary school children in four selected regions of The Gambia.

BackgroundThe Gambia initiated a control programme for schistosomiasis in 2015. In light of this, recent and comprehensive data on schistosomiasis is required to effectively guide the control programme. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and associated risk factors of schistosomiasis among primary school children in The Gambia.MethodsWe utilised data from a previous study conducted in 2015 in 4 regions of The Gambia: North Bank Region (NBR), Lower River Region (LRR), Central River Region (CRR) and Upper River Region (URR). In the parent study, ten schools were selected randomly from each region. Urine and stool samples collected from 25 boys and 25 girls (7–14 years) in each school were examined for urinary schistosomiasis (Schistosoma haematobium infection) and intestinal schistosomiasis (Schistosoma mansoni infection) using urine filtration, dipstick and Kato-Katz methods.Principal findingsUrinary schistosomiasis had an overall prevalence of 10.2% while intestinal schistosomiasis had a prevalence of 0.3% among the sampled school children. Prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis was significantly different among regions (χ 2 = 279.958, df = 3, p < 0.001), with CRR (27.6%) being the most endemic region, followed by URR (12.0%), then LRR (0.6%), and NBR (0.0%). Prevalence of intestinal schistosomiasis was also significantly variable among regions, with 4 of the 5 positive cases detected in CRR and 1 case in URR. Every school sampled in CRR had at least one student infected with S. haematobium, 50% of schools in URR had S. haematobium infection, and just one school in LRR had S. haematobium infection. While S. haematobium infection was significantly higher in boys (χ 2 = 4.440, df = 1, p = 0.035), no significant difference in infection rate was observed among age groups (χ 2 = 0.882, df = 2, p = 0.643). Two of the 5 students infected with S. mansoni were boys and 3 were girls. Four of these 5 students were in the 10–12 years age group and 1 was in the 7–9 years age group. Macrohaematuria and microhaematuria were found to be statistically associated with presence of S. haematobium eggs in urine. Being a male was a risk factor of S. haematobium infection. Bathing, playing and swimming in water bodies were found to pose less risk for S. haematobium infection, indicating that the true water contact behaviour of children was possibly underrepresented.ConclusionThe findings of this study provide invaluable information on the prevalence of schistosomiasis in The Gambia. This was useful for the schistosomiasis control efforts of the country, as it guided mass drug administration campaigns in eligible districts in the study area. More studies on S. mansoni and its intermediate snail hosts are required to establish its true status in The Gambia. As children sometimes tend to provide responses that potentially please the research or their teacher, data collection frameworks and approaches that ensure true responses in studies involving children should be devised and used.

Assessment of pesticide residues level in watermelon fruits [Citrullus lanatus (Thunberg) Matsumura and Nakai] in Lower, Central and Upper Badibou Districts in North Bank Region, of the Gambia

Field and laboratory studies were conducted late 2019 in three districts of the Gambia’s North Bank Region; namely, Central Badibou, Lower Badibou and Upper Badibou to ascertain the pesticide residue level in watermelon fruit, determine the insect pest control methods, types of pesticide, frequency of application, and pre-harvest interval observed. Multistage sampling technique was used in selecting the research respondents. Eighty-five (85) farmers were identified; forty-five (45) were randomly selected as research respondents. Data was collected using structured questionnaires. SPSS Software was used to analyse the questionnaires and Gas Chromatograph to determine the pesticide residue level. Data obtained were analysed and compared with the European Union Maximum Residue Limit (MRL). The results of the analysis revealed that the farmers used chemical control method in watermelon production, and applied at frequency of once in every two weeks. Furthermore, the results indicated that the chemical applied at flowering stage and the pre-harvest interval (17-21 days) ranked the highest. The pesticides residues found in the watermelon samples were Dimethoate, Profenophos, Dicofol, Cypermethrin, Lambda-cyhalothrin, Permethrin and Deltamethrin and most were above the MRL. The presence of pesticides residues in the watermelon samples calls for strict regulation on the use of pesticides on watermelon. Further study is recommended in other fruits and vegetables grown in the country especially in the studied region.

Detection of recent changes in Gambia vegetation cover using time series modis ndvi

In The Gambia, the vegetation cover has undergone significant changes over the past two decades. To assist policy decision-making, this study seeks to detect trends in changes over the past two decades using a time series of NDVI MODIS images. The methodological approach is based on the calculation of the correlation of Kendall (τ) associated with the p-significance test at the 10 % threshold. The results showed a trend of increasing vegetation productivity during the decade 2000-2009 (98.37% of the study area) in almost all administrative regions. This trend is more significant along the river. In contrast, during the decade 2010-2019, it was noted overall significant downward trend in productivity (44.01% of The Gambia) in all administrative regions except West Coast Region and Banjul, however not significant. The result showed that, over the whole period (2000-2019), 61.86% of the national territory was characterized by a positive trend and 38.14% by a negative trend; and that the significant positive trend percentage is 10%, the significant negative trend percentage is 4%. Significant positive trends are observed much more along the river and central of the Central River Region; significant negative trends are observed mainly in the western part of West Coast Region and Banjul, at the eastern end of the North Bank Region and in the Upper River Region.

Social and cultural factors perpetuating early marriage in rural Gambia: an exploratory mixed methods study.

Background: Over the last two decades, early marriage in the Gambia declined significantly (from 58% to 30%). Yet evidence indicates that nearly 8.6% of marriages in the Gambia involved girls younger than 15, and 46.5% of marriages are with girls aged 18 or below. The reasons for the decline but continuing practice of early marriage, despite existing legislation prohibiting child marriage, are not very well understood. Very few studies have been conducted to find out what and how local factors influence decisions about early marriage in the Gambia. More information is therefore needed on underlying reasons for the persistence of early marriage in the Gambia so that program managers can use this information to design strategies towards accelerating the decline of early marriages. Methods: The study was conducted in 24 rural settlements in Lower Baddibu District in the North Bank Region of the Gambia. It was based on a mixed-methods design including a cross-sectional household survey with a sample of 181 female adolescents and focus group discussions with 16 male and female parents. Focus group discussions were digitally-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic content analysis, while survey data were analyzed using Stata. Results: Using multiple regression analysis, this study found that ethnicity more than other factors, exerts an independent effect on early marriage. Themes identified during focus group discussions also revealed that fear of premarital sex and loss of virginity outside marriage were major reasons for the perpetuation of early marriage. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the practice of early marriage in rural Gambia is associated with ethnicity and practices related to social and cultural norms. The findings also suggest that in order to decrease early marriages, future efforts should focus on allaying the fears around premarital sex and loss of virginity related to delay in marriage.

Social and cultural factors perpetuating early marriage in rural Gambia: an exploratory mixed methods study

Background: Over the last two decades, early marriage in the Gambia declined significantly (from 58% to 30%), however this rate is still high. The reasons for the decline but continuing practice of early marriage, despite existing legislation prohibiting child marriage, are not very well understood. Very few studies have been conducted to find out what and how local factors influence decisions about early marriage in the Gambia. More information is therefore needed on underlying reasons for the persistence of early marriage in the Gambia so that program managers can use this information to design strategies to decrease early marriages. Methods: The study was conducted in 24 rural settlements in Lower Baddibu District in the North Bank Region of the Gambia. It was based on a mixed-methods design including a cross-sectional household survey with a sample of 181 female adolescents, focus group discussions with 16 male and female parents, and eight key informant interviews with community-based decision makers. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic content analysis, while survey data were analyzed using Stata. Results: The study finds that ethnicity and the fear that girls may engage in premarital sex are two important factors associated with early marriage in rural Gambia. In addition, lack of meaningful alternatives to marriage including work opportunities in rural areas may also limit the options and resources available to girls, resulting in early wedlock. Conclusions: These findings suggest that in order to decrease early marriages in rural Gambia, future efforts should focus on understanding and addressing the role of ethnicity in determining marriage patterns and allaying the fear around premarital sex.The findings also suggest a need to provide girls with employment-oriented education including vocational skills which may result into more empowerment and a delay in marriage.

Social and cultural factors perpetuating early marriage in rural Gambia: an exploratory mixed methods study

Background: Over the last two decades, early marriage in the Gambia declined significantly (from 58% to 30%), however this rate is still high. The reasons for the decline but continuing practice of early marriage, despite existing legislation prohibiting child marriage, are not very well understood. Very few studies have been conducted to find out what and how local factors influence decisions about early marriage in the Gambia. More information is therefore needed on underlying reasons for the persistence of early marriage in the Gambia so that program managers can use this information to design strategies to decrease early marriages. Methods: The study was conducted in 24 rural settlements in Lower Baddibu District in the North Bank Region of the Gambia. It was based on a mixed-methods design including a cross-sectional household survey with a sample of 181 female adolescents, focus group discussions with 16 male and female parents, and eight key informant interviews with community-based decision makers. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic content analysis, while survey data were analyzed using Stata. Results: The study finds that ethnicity and the fear that girls may engage in premarital sex are two important factors associated with early marriage in rural Gambia. In addition, lack of meaningful alternatives to marriage including work opportunities in rural areas may also limit the options and resources available to girls, resulting in early wedlock. Conclusions: These findings suggest that in order to decrease early marriages in rural Gambia, future efforts should focus on understanding and addressing the role of ethnicity in determining marriage patterns and allaying the fear around premarital sex.The findings also suggest a need to provide girls with employment-oriented education including vocational skills which may result into more empowerment and a delay in marriage.

Social and cultural factors perpetuating early marriage in rural Gambia: an exploratory mixed methods study

Background: Over the last two decades, early marriage in the Gambia declined significantly (from 58% to 30%). Yet evidence indicates that nearly 8.6% of marriages in the Gambia involved girls younger than 15, and 46.5% of marriages are with girls aged 18 or below. The reasons for the decline but continuing practice of early marriage, despite existing legislation prohibiting child marriage, are not very well understood. Very few studies have been conducted to find out what and how local factors influence decisions about early marriage in the Gambia. More information is therefore needed on underlying reasons for the persistence of early marriage in the Gambia so that program managers can use this information to design strategies towards accelerating the decline of early marriages. Methods: The study was conducted in 24 rural settlements in Lower Baddibu District in the North Bank Region of the Gambia. It was based on a mixed-methods design including a cross-sectional household survey with a sample of 181 female adolescents and focus group discussions with 16 male and female parents. Focus group discussions were digitally-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic content analysis, while survey data were analyzed using Stata. Results: Using multiple regression analysis, this study found that ethnicity more than other factors, exerts an independent effect on early marriage. Themes identified during focus group discussions also revealed that fear of premarital sex and loss of virginity outside marriage were major reasons for the perpetuation of early marriage. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the practice of early marriage in rural Gambia is associated with ethnicity and practices related to social and cultural norms. The findings also suggest that in order to decrease early marriages, future efforts should focus on allaying the fears around premarital sex and loss of virginity related to delay in marriage.

Status of insecticide resistance in Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) of The Gambia

BackgroundVector control activities, namely long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) and indoor residual spraying (IRS), have contributed significantly to the decreasing malaria burden observed in The Gambia since 2008. Nevertheless, insecticide resistance may threaten such success; it is important to regularly assess the susceptibility of local malaria vectors to available insecticides.MethodsIn the transmission seasons of 2016 and 2017, Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) larvae were sampled in or around the nine vector surveillance sentinel sites of the Gambia National Malaria Control Programme (GNMCP) and in a few additional sampling points. Using WHO susceptibility bioassays, female adult mosquitoes were exposed to insecticide-impregnated papers. Molecular identification of sibling species and insecticide resistance molecular markers was done on a subset of 2000 female mosquitoes.ResultsA total of 4666 wild-caught female adult mosquitoes were exposed to either permethrin (n = 665), deltamethrin (n = 744), DDT (n = 1021), bendiocarb (n = 990) or pirimiphos-methyl (n = 630) insecticide-impregnated papers and control papers (n = 616). Among the 2000 anophelines, 1511 (80.7%) were Anopheles arabiensis, 204 (10.9%) Anopheles coluzzii, 75 (4%) Anopheles gambiae (s.s.), and 83 (4.4%) An. gambiae (s.s.) and An. coluzzii hybrids. There was a significant variation in the composition and species distribution by regions and year, P = 0.009. Deltamethrin, permethrin and DDT resistance was found in An. arabiensis, especially in the coastal region, and was mediated by Vgsc-1014F/S mutations (odds ratio = 34, P = 0.014). There was suspected resistance to pirimiphos-methyl (actellic 300CS) in the North Bank Region although only one survivor had the Ace-1-119S mutation.ConclusionsAs no confirmed resistance to bendiocarb and actellic 300CS was detected, the national malaria control programme can continue using these insecticides for IRS. Nevertheless, the detection of Ace-1 119S mutation warrants extensive monitoring. The source of insecticide pressure driving insecticide resistance to pyrethroids and DDT detected at the coastal region should be further investigated in order to properly manage the spread of resistance in The Gambia.

Cashew Production as Livelihood Improvement to Small-holder Producers in North Bank Region of the Gambia

Cashew Production as Livelihood Improvement to Small-holder Producers in North Bank Region of the Gambia

Field evaluation of a schistosome circulating cathodic antigen rapid test kit at point-of-care for mapping of schistosomiasis endemic districts in The Gambia.

BackgroundStudies in Sub Saharan Africa have shown that the Circulating Cathodic Antigen point-of-care-test (POC-CCA) is more accurate in the detections of S. mansoni than the microscopic Kato-Katz technique but less is known about the accuracy of this rapid test in detecting S. haematobium infections. This study was intended to evaluate the field accuracy of POC-CCA as a rapid test kit for schistosomiasis mapping in The Gambia.MethodsThis prospective study was conducted in 4 regions in the country. Ten schools were randomly selected from each region, and a total of 2018 participants whose ages range from 7 to 14 years were enrolled in the study. Stool and urine samples were collected from each participant from May to June 2015, and tested for S. haematobium and S. mansoni infections in field and laboratory settings. The tests conducted included POC-CCA, double Kato-Katz slides, urine filtration and dipstick for hematuria.ResultsOf the 1954 participants that had complete data, the mean age of participants was 9.9 years. The prevalence of children infected with S. haematobium, using urine filtration technique was 10.1% (95% CI: 8.87–11.55). Central River Region had the highest level of urinary schistosomiasis with a prevalence of 28.0% (24.13–32.12).The lowest urinary schistosomiasis prevalence of 0.6% (0.12–1.86) was found in Lower River Region and North Bank Region had no cases of schistosomiasis detected. Only 5 participants were infected with S. mansoni. Using urine filtration as reference standard for the detection of S. haematobium, the sensitivity and specificity of POC-CCA was 47.7% and 75.8%. Whilst sensitivity and specificity of POC-CCA for detecting S. mansoni were 60.0% and 71.2% using double Kato-Katz as reference standard.ConclusionThis study showed lower sensitivity of POC-CCA in detecting S. haematobium. Therefore POC-CCA is less useful for rapid diagnosis of urinary schistosomiasis.

Wet and Dry Season Effects on Select Soil Nutrient Contents of Upland Farms in North Bank Region of the Gambia

The study was conducted in three villages of North Bank Region of the Gambia in 2013 and 2014. We examined wet and dry season effects on select soil nutrient contents of upland farms in North Bank Region of the Gambia. The objective was to evaluate changes in soil nutrient contents in both wet and dry seasons. Soil samples were collected from three RCBD upland fields with three replications at a depth of 0 - 15 cm and analyzed for pH, Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), and soil moisture content. The gravimetric method of moisture estimation was used. The results showed that soil moisture content, soil TN, and soil pH are significantly different (P < 0.05) during the two seasons. There was no significant difference in SOC between the two seasons in the study area. The study concluded that soil nutrients were more readily available during the wet season than during the dry season probably because there is more soil moisture available in the wet season that facilitates soil nutrient release. The study concludes that soil moisture has to be available in order for some select soil nutrients to be released for plant uptake.

Coping measures not enough to avoid loss and damage from drought in the North Bank Region of The Gambia

In 2011 the North Bank Region of The Gambia experienced its most severe drought in 20 years. This article looks at how this drought affected households in the region, the coping measures they adopted, and residual loss and damage. In this study, 'loss and damage' is defined as adverse effects of climatic stressors that people have not been able to avoid through coping and adaptation (from Warner et al., 2012). Data were collected through a questionnaire survey (N = 373), 60 focus group discussions and six expert interviews. Almost all respondents reported that the 2011 drought had affected their household, particularly through crop failure, livestock losses and high food prices. Most households tried to cope by seeking non-farm income or selling livestock to buy food. Others relied on food aid or social networks. However, for almost two thirds of the households, these measures were not sufficient or had adverse effects.