Rukungiri District Research Articles

Sweet Potato Virus Disease in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Evidence that Neglect of Seedlings in the Traditional Farming System Hinders the Development of Superior Resistant Landraces

Sweet potato virus disease (SPVD) occurs in sweet potato at all localities on the perimeter of Lake Victoria areas surveyed in Uganda and Tanzania, and was particularly common in Kagera District in Tanzania and in Rukungiri District in Uganda. All fields were planted with landraces and the most important control practices, as perceived by farmers, were the planting of cuttings derived from only symptomless parents and destroying diseased plants. Although SPVD‐resistant landraces were available, they were perceived by most farmers to have poor and late yields. Most farmers considered that their greatest need was new, more acceptable, SPVD‐resistant genotypes. Few farmers had seen either sweet potato seeds (15%) or sweet potato seedlings (11%) and, of those that had, most had ignored them. The lack of seedlings and their neglect by farmers is likely to be hindering the evolution of more acceptable, SPVD‐resistant landraces, and is probably responsible for SPVD being a long‐term disease problem.

Community-directed, ivermectin-treatment programmes for onchocerciasis control in Uganda: the selection and validation of indicators for monitoring sustainability at the district level.

The selection and validation of indicators for predicting and monitoring sustainment in community-directed, ivermectin-treatment programmes (CDITP) at the community level in the Kabale, Kisoro and Rukungiri districts of Uganda have already been reported. The aim of the present study was to select and validate similar indicators at the district level, in the same districts over the same 4-year period. Three dependent-variable scales of programme sustainability (PS), PS1, PS2 and PS3, were compared by district. As at the community level, Rukungiri district clearly performed better than Kabale or Kisoro. Cost variables compiled at the district level and the ratios of numbers of community-based distributors (CBD) to community members were used as input variables in regression and correlation models, with PS1, PS2, and PS3 as outcome variables. In the regression model, cost of training CBD was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.0186). This variable also scored 100% on a scale for programme-indicator sensitivity and hence was selected as a helpful indicator. In the correlation model, cost of health education of community members had a weak relationship with PS1 (P = 0.0662). Cost of training CBD had a significant negative correlation with PS2 (P = 0.0186), indicating that reducing the cost of training would facilitate sustainability. PS3 showed weak negative correlations with cost of health education of community members (P = 0.0586) and cost/person treated in the district (P = 0.0584). Sustainment of CDITP might be better, therefore, if the costs per person could be reduced. As correlation relationships may not be linear, however, they were not considered particularly useful in the selection of helpful indicators.

Community-directed, ivermectin-treatment programmes for onchocerciasis control in Uganda: the selection and validation of indicators for monitoring sustainability at the district level

The selection and validation of indicators for predicting and monitoring sustainment in community-directed, ivermectin-treatment programmes (CDITP) at the community level in the Kabale, Kisoro and Rukungiri districts of Uganda have already been reported. The aim of the present study was to select and validate similar indicators at the district level, in the same districts over the same 4-year period. Three dependent-variable scales of programme sustainability (PS), PS1, PS2 and PS3, were compared by district. As at the community level, Rukungiri district clearly performed better than Kabale or Kisoro.Cost variables compiled at the district level and the ratios of numbers of community-based distributors (CBD) to community members were used as input variables in regression and correlation models, with PS1, PS2, and PS3 as outcome variables.In the regression model, cost of training CBD was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.0186). This variable also scored 100% on a scale for programme-indicator sensitivity and hence was selected as a helpful indicator.In the correlation model, cost of health education of community members had a weak relationship with PS1 (P = 0.0662). Cost of training CBD had a significant negative correlation with PS2 (P = 0.0186), indicating that reducing the cost of training would facilitate sustainability. PS3 showed weak negative correlations with cost of health education of community members (P = 0.0586) and cost/person treated in the district (P = 0.0584). Sustainment of CDITP might be better, therefore, if the costs per person could be reduced. As correlation relationships may not be linear, however, they were not considered particularly useful in the selection of helpful indicators.

The selection and validation of indicators for monitoring progress towards self-sustainment in community-directed, ivermectin-treatment programmes for onchocerciasis control in Uganda.

A retrospective analysis was made of quantitative data on coverage obtained over 4 years of annual ivermectin treatment of the eligible populations (approximately 56,000 individuals) of 71 communities with endemic onchocerciasis in the Kabale, Kisoro and Rukungiri districts of Uganda. The objective was to formulate methods for defining sustainability in community-directed, ivermectin-treatment programmes (CDITP). Three dependent-variable scales of programme sustainability (PS), PS1, PS2, and PS3, were tested for statistical significance by analysis of variance. The inhabitants of a random sample of 230 households drawn from 23 communities [each containing one community leader and one community-based distributor (CBD)] were then invited to answer a questionnaire covering seven independent variables. These variables were analysed in regression and correlation models, with the PS scales as dependent variables. In the regression model, only one variable, selection of CBD by community members (P = 0.038), which scored 100% on the scale of programme-indicator sensitivity, passed as a useful indicator for predicting the sustainability and monitoring the sustainment of CDITP at the community level. The same variable was also selected in the correlation model (P = 0.028). Although two other variables--involvement of CBD in other primary-health-care activities (P = 0.0594) and provision of incentives for the CBD (P = 0.0558)--showed weak negative associations with sustainability in the correlation model, they did not exhibit a linear relationship with it and cannot therefore be used as valid indicators for predicting sustainability or monitoring sustainment.

The selection and validation of indicators for monitoring progress towards self-sustainment in community-directed, ivermectin-treatment programmes for onchocerciasis control in Uganda

A retrospective analysis was made of quantitative data on coverage obtained over 4 years of annual ivermectin treatment of the eligible populations (approximately 56 000 individuals) of 71 communities with endemic onchocerciasis in the Kabale, Kisoro and Rukungiri districts of Uganda. The objective was to formulate methods for defining sustainability in community-directed, ivermectin-treatment programmes (CDITP). Three dependent-variable scales of programme sustainability (PS), PS1, PS2 and PS3, were tested for statistical significance by analysis of variance. The inhabitants of a random sample of 230 households drawn from 23 communities [each containing one community leader and one community-based distributor (CBD)] were then invited to answer a questionnaire covering seven independent variables. These variables were analysed in regression and correlation models, with the PS scales as dependent variables. In the regression model, only one variable, selection of CBD by community members (P = 0.038), which scored 100% on the scale of programme-indicator sensitivity, passed as a useful indicator for predicting the sustainability and monitoring the sustainment of CDITP at the community level. The same variable was also selected in the correlation model (P = 0.028). Although two other variables—involvement of CBD in other primary-health-care activities (P = 0.0594) and provision of incentives for the CBD (P = 0.0558)—showed weak negative associations with sustainability in the correlation model, they did not exhibit a linear relationship with it and cannot therefore be used as valid indicators for predicting sustainability or monitoring sustainment.