An assessment of renewable energy in Southern Africa: Wind, solar, hydro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fant, Charles William, IV

While electricity demand is rising quickly in the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), the nations involved struggle to build the necessary infrastructure to meet the demand. In addition, the principal member---the Republic of South Africa---has made ambitious targets to reduce emissions via renewable energy technology. In this dissertation, three stand-alone studies on this subject are presented that address the future reliability of renewable energy in southern Africa, considering climate variability as well as long-term trends caused by climate change. In the first study, a suite of models are used to assess the vulnerability of the countries dependent on resources from the Zambezi River Basin to changes in climate. The study finds that the sectors most vulnerable to climate change are: hydropower in Zambia, irrigation in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and flooding in Mozambique. In the second study, hourly reanalysis data is used to characterize wind power intermittency and assess the value of interconnection in southern Africa. The study finds that wind potential is high in Kenya, central Tanzania, and southern South Africa. With a closer look, wind power resource in South Africa is unreliable (i.e. intermittent) and is weak when power demand is highest on all relevant time-scales. In the third study, presented in Chapter 4, we develop a risk profile for changes in the long-term mean of wind and solar power sources. To do this, we use a statistical relationship between global mean temperature and each local gridded wind speed and solar radiation from the GCMs. We find that only small changes in wind speed and solar radiation are predicted in the median of the distributions projected to 2050. Furthermore, at the extremes of the distribution, relatively significant changes are predicted in some parts of southern Africa, and are associated with low probability. Finally, in the conclusion chapter, limitations and assumptions are listed for each of the three studies

Clean Air Slots Amid Dense Atmospheric Pollution in Southern Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hobbs, Peter V.

2003-01-01

During the flights of the University of Washington's Convair-580 in the Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000) in southern Africa, a phenomenon was observed that has not been reported previously. This was the occurrence of thin layers of remarkably clean air, sandwiched between heavily polluted air, which persisted for many hours during the day. Photographs are shown of these clean air slots (CAS), and particle concentrations and light scattering coefficients in and around such slot are presented. An explanation is proposed for the propensity of CAS to form in southern Africa during the dry season.

Atmospheric Chemistry Over Southern Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatebe, Charles K.; Levy, Robert C.; Thompson, Anne M.

2011-01-01

During the southern African dry season, regional haze from mixed industrial pollution, biomass burning aerosol and gases from domestic and grassland fires, and biogenic sources from plants and soils is worsened by a semi-permanent atmosphere gyre over the subcontinent. These factors were a driver of several major international field campaigns in the 1990s and early 2000s, and attracted many scientists to the region. Some researchers were interested in understanding fundamental processes governing chemistry of the atmosphere and interaction with climate change. Others found favorable conditions for evaluating satellite-derived measurements of atmospheric properties and a changing land surface. With that background in mind a workshop on atmospheric chemistry was held in South Africa. Sponsored by the International Commission for Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (ICACGP; http://www.icacgp.org/), the workshop received generous support from the South African power utility, Eskom, and the Climatology Research Group of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. The purpose of the workshop was to review some earlier findings as well as more recent findings on southern African climate vulnerability, chemical changes due to urbanization, land-use modification, and how these factors interact. Originally proposed by John Burrows, president of ICACGP, the workshop was the first ICACGP regional workshop to study the interaction of air pollution with global chemical and climate change. Organized locally by the University of the Witwatersrand, the workshop attracted more than 60 delegates from South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, France, Germany, Canada, and the United States. More than 30 presentations were given, exploring both retrospective and prospective aspects of the science. In several talks, attention was focused on southern African chemistry, atmospheric pollution monitoring, and climate processes as they were studied in the field

Climate and southern Africa's water-energy-food nexus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conway, Declan; van Garderen, Emma Archer; Deryng, Delphine; Dorling, Steve; Krueger, Tobias; Landman, Willem; Lankford, Bruce; Lebek, Karen; Osborn, Tim; Ringler, Claudia; Thurlow, James; Zhu, Tingju; Dalin, Carole

2015-09-01

In southern Africa, the connections between climate and the water-energy-food nexus are strong. Physical and socioeconomic exposure to climate is high in many areas and in crucial economic sectors. Spatial interdependence is also high, driven, for example, by the regional extent of many climate anomalies and river basins and aquifers that span national boundaries. There is now strong evidence of the effects of individual climate anomalies, but associations between national rainfall and gross domestic product and crop production remain relatively weak. The majority of climate models project decreases in annual precipitation for southern Africa, typically by as much as 20% by the 2080s. Impact models suggest these changes would propagate into reduced water availability and crop yields. Recognition of spatial and sectoral interdependencies should inform policies, institutions and investments for enhancing water, energy and food security. Three key political and economic instruments could be strengthened for this purpose: the Southern African Development Community, the Southern African Power Pool and trade of agricultural products amounting to significant transfers of embedded water.

Lead Toxicosis in a Southern Ground Hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri in South Africa.

PubMed

Koeppel, Katja N; Kemp, Lucy V

2015-12-01

The southern ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) has been classified as globally vulnerable and, in South Africa, regionally endangered, with a negative population trend. Factors contributing to the population decline in South Africa are poisoning, electrocution, and illegal capture for trade, coupled with slow reproductive rates and extensive habitat requirements. Lead toxicosis is a previously undescribed threat for the population. An adult southern ground hornbill presented with acute lead toxicosis due to lead particles in the gizzard, which required intensive treatment. Two other hornbills were likely exposed. The source of the lead in these cases was likely a carcass of a porcupine that was killed with lead shot. This report highlights the importance of the use of lead-free ammunition within the habitat of the southern ground hornbill in South Africa.

Archean sedimentation and tectonics in southern Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kidd, W. S. F.

1984-01-01

Sequences in the Barberton Mountain Land greenstone belt (southern Africa) were examined to determine the nature of the sedimentary rocks, their tectonic implications, and their bearing on the present large-scale structural condition of the belt. Also assessed was whether there was evidence for a significant component of shallow-water-deposited sedimentary rocks in the parent materials of the Limpopo belt. The nature of a largehigh strain zone on the southern margin of the central Limpopo belt was examined.

Key determinants of AIDS impact in Southern sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Shandera, Wayne Xavier

2007-11-01

To investigate why Southern sub-Saharan Africa is more severely impacted by HIV and AIDS than other parts of sub-Saharan Africa, I conducted a review of the literature that assessed viral, host and transmission (societal) factors. This narrative review evaluates: 1) viral factors, in particular the aggregation of subtype-C HIV infections in Southern sub-Saharan Africa; 2) host factors, including unique behaviour patterns, concomitant high prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, circumcision patterns, average age at first marriage and immunogenetic determinants; and, 3) transmission and societal factors, including levels of poverty, degrees of literacy, migrations of people, extent of political corruption, and the usage of contaminated injecting needles in community settings. HIV prevalence data and published indices on wealth, fertility, and governmental corruption were correlated using statistical software. The high prevalence of HIV in Southern sub-Saharan Africa is not explained by the unusual prevalence of subtype-C HIV infection. Many host factors contribute to HIV prevalence, including frequency of genital ulcerating sexually transmitted infections, absence of circumcision (compiled odds ratios suggest a protective effect of between 40% and 60% from circumcision), and immunogenetic loci, but no factor alone explains the high prevalence of HIV in the region. Among transmission and societal factors, the wealthiest, most literate and most educated, but also the most income-disparate, nations of sub-Saharan Africa show the highest HIV prevalence. HIV prevalence is also highest within societies experiencing significant migration and conflict as well as in those with government systems experiencing a high degree of corruption. The interactions between poverty and HIV transmission are complex. Epidemiologic studies currently do not suggest a strong role for the community usage of contaminated injecting needles. Areas meriting additional study include clade type

Climate and Southern Africa's Water-Energy-Food Nexus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conway, D.; Osborn, T.; Dorling, S.; Ringler, C.; Lankford, B.; Dalin, C.; Thurlow, J.; Zhu, T.; Deryng, D.; Landman, W.; Archer van Garderen, E.; Krueger, T.; Lebek, K.

2014-12-01

Numerous challenges coalesce to make Southern Africa emblematic of the connections between climate and the water-energy-food nexus. Rainfall and river flows in the region show high levels of variability across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Physical and socioeconomic exposure to climate variability and change is high, for example, the contribution of electricity produced from hydroelectric sources is over 30% in Madagascar and Zimbabwe and almost 100% in the DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, and Zambia. The region's economy is closely linked with that of the rest of the African continent and climate-sensitive food products are an important item of trade. Southern Africa's population is concentrated in regions exposed to high levels of hydro-meteorological variability, and will increase rapidly over the next four decades. The capacity to manage the effects of climate variability tends, however, to be low. Moreover, with climate change annual precipitation levels, soil moisture and runoff are likely to decrease and rising temperatures will increase evaporative demand. Despite high levels of hydro-meteorological variability, the sectoral and cross-sectoral water-energy-food linkages with climate in Southern Africa have not been considered in detail. Lack of data and questionable reliability are compounded by complex dynamic relationships. We review the role of climate in Southern Africa's nexus, complemented by empirical analysis of national level data on climate, water resources, crop and energy production, and economic activity. Our aim is to examine the role of climate variability as a driver of production fluctuations in the nexus, and to improve understanding of the magnitude and temporal dimensions of their interactions. We first consider national level exposure of food, water and energy production to climate in aggregate economic terms and then examine the linkages between interannual and multi-year climate variability and economic activity, focusing on food and

The Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality. Assessment GEMs No. 8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Australian Council for Educational Research, 2015

2015-01-01

The Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) carries out large-scale cross-national research studies in member countries in the Southern and Eastern Africa region. It aims to assess the conditions of schooling and performance levels of learners and teachers in the areas of literacy and numeracy. SACMEQ has…

Exploratory Long-Range Models to Estimate Summer Climate Variability over Southern Africa.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jury, Mark R.; Mulenga, Henry M.; Mason, Simon J.

1999-07-01

Teleconnection predictors are explored using multivariate regression models in an effort to estimate southern African summer rainfall and climate impacts one season in advance. The preliminary statistical formulations include many variables influenced by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) such as tropical sea surface temperatures (SST) in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Atmospheric circulation responses to ENSO include the alternation of tropical zonal winds over Africa and changes in convective activity within oceanic monsoon troughs. Numerous hemispheric-scale datasets are employed to extract predictors and include global indexes (Southern Oscillation index and quasi-biennial oscillation), SST principal component scores for the global oceans, indexes of tropical convection (outgoing longwave radiation), air pressure, and surface and upper winds over the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Climatic targets include subseasonal, area-averaged rainfall over South Africa and the Zambezi river basin, and South Africa's annual maize yield. Predictors and targets overlap in the years 1971-93, the defined training period. Each target time series is fitted by an optimum group of predictors from the preceding spring, in a linear multivariate formulation. To limit artificial skill, predictors are restricted to three, providing 17 degrees of freedom. Models with colinear predictors are screened out, and persistence of the target time series is considered. The late summer rainfall models achieve a mean r2 fit of 72%, contributed largely through ENSO modulation. Early summer rainfall cross validation correlations are lower (61%). A conceptual understanding of the climate dynamics and ocean-atmosphere coupling processes inherent in the exploratory models is outlined.Seasonal outlooks based on the exploratory models could help mitigate the impacts of southern Africa's fluctuating climate. It is believed that an advance warning of drought risk and seasonal rainfall prospects will

New insights into the history of the C-14010 lactase persistence variant in Eastern and Southern Africa.

PubMed

Macholdt, Enrico; Slatkin, Montgomery; Pakendorf, Brigitte; Stoneking, Mark

2015-04-01

Lactase persistence (LP), the ability to digest lactose into adulthood, is strongly associated with the cultural traits of pastoralism and milk-drinking among human populations, and several different genetic variants are known that confer LP. Recent studies of LP variants in Southern African populations, with a focus on Khoisan-speaking groups, found high frequencies of an LP variant (the C-14010 allele) that also occurs in Eastern Africa, and concluded that the C-14010 allele was brought to Southern Africa via a migration of pastoralists from Eastern Africa. However, this conclusion was based on indirect evidence; to date no study has jointly analyzed data on the C-14010 allele from both Southern African Khoisan-speaking groups and Eastern Africa. Here, we combine and analyze published data on the C-14010 allele in Southern and Eastern African populations, consisting of haplotypes with the C-14010 allele and four closely-linked short tandem repeat loci. Our results provide direct evidence for the previously-hypothesized Eastern African origin of the C-14010 allele in Southern African Khoisan-speaking groups. In addition, we find evidence for a separate introduction of the C-14010 allele into the Bantu-speaking Xhosa. The estimated selection intensity on the C-14010 allele in Eastern Africa is lower than that in Southern Africa, which suggests that in Eastern Africa the dietary changes conferring the fitness advantage associated with LP occurred some time after the origin of the C-14010 allele. Conversely, in Southern Africa the fitness advantage was present when the allele was introduced, as would be expected if pastoralism was introduced concomitantly. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Exploring how sand ramps respond to Quaternary environmental change in Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rowell, Alex; Thomas, David; Bailey, Richard

2014-05-01

The current climate of southern Africa is particularly complex and interesting due to the interaction of several climatic systems. However, reconstructions of how these systems behaved in the past, and how the environment responded, have been hampered by a general paucity of records and poor chronological control. Sand ramps may provide the potential to improve palaeoenvironmental reconstructions of southern Africa (and beyond). Formed against a topographic barrier, sand ramps include a combination of aeolian, fluvial and colluvial deposits in varying proportions. Therefore, they have the potential to record changes in moisture availability, circulation patterns and sediment supply which can be independently dated using luminescence dating. Nevertheless relatively little attention has been paid to these features and thus the environmental controls on their formation are not yet fully understood. In particular, there is debate as to whether they reflect deposition during a 'window of opportunity' in which high-magnitude, low-frequency events are recorded (Bateman et al. 2012) or whether they record more gradual, cyclic climate change (Bertram, 2003) or even if there is a uniform control on their formation. This research aims to investigate how sand ramps respond to environmental change and what they can tell us about the paleoenvironment of southern Africa. This poster displays preliminary results based on initial field investigation. This confirmed sand ramps to be ubiquitous in southern Africa and that they record a complex interaction of aeolian, fluvial and colluvial deposits which appears to differ between sand ramps. Preliminary luminescence dating results and sedimentology are displayed for two sand ramps, one from south west Namibia the other from the Karoo region of South Africa.

Institutional Research in Emerging Countries of Southern Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa: Global Frameworks and Local Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lange, Lis; Saavedra, F. Mauricio; Romano, Jeanine

2013-01-01

This chapter presents a synthesis of the conceptualization and practice of institutional research (IR) in higher education (HE) in emerging countries across Southern Africa, Latin America and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions. The chapter contextualizes the growing need for IR in these regions, identifies problems and challenges…

Atmospheric Transport and Photochemistry of Ozone Over Central Southern Africa During the Southern Africa Fire-Atmosphere Research Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tyson, P. D.; Garstang, M.; Thompson, A. M.; DAbreton, P.; Diab, R. D.; Browell, E. V.

1997-01-01

Vertically integrated back and forward trajectories for the 300-200, 700-500 and surface-800 hPa levels are calculated using Pretoria as point of origin for the Southern Africa Fire-Atmosphere Research Initiative (SAFARI) period September-October 1992. The transport fields are then combined to show both horizontal and vertical transport of air to and from Pretoria at the different levels. Air transport patterns in the vertical are linked to the occurrence of absolutely stable layers which are also evident in the 16 ozonesonde profiles recorded at Pretoria during SAFARI. The coherence of the stratification based on dynamical and ozone analysis permits the use of mean ozone profiles with air volume fluxes to interpret the ozone in terms of photochemistry and transport within stable layers. Extensive recirculation across the meridional plane at Pretoria implies that advection of ozone is slow and that photochemistry is responsible for the observed vertical structure over central southern Africa in September and October 1992. Requisite ozone formation rates are supported by model analysis of ozone and ozone precursors measured from SAFARI and Transport and Atmospheric Research Chemistry near the Equator-Atlantic aircraft.

Emissions From Miombo Woodland and Dambo Grassland Savanna Fires in Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, P.; Hobbs, P. V.; Yokelson, R. J.; Blake, D. R.; Gao, S.; Kirchstetter, T. W.

2003-12-01

African savanna fires are the largest source of biomass burning emissions worldwide, and the miombo woodland ecosystem is the most abundant type of savanna in southern Africa. Dambo grasslands are major enclaves within miombo woodlands. Savanna fires in these two ecosystems accounted for over one-third of the total area burned in southern Africa during the dry season of 2000. Airborne measurements of trace gases and particles over and downwind of two prescribed savanna fires in plots of miombo woodland and dambo grassland were obtained on September 1 and September 5, 2000, respectively. These measurements provide emission factors for a number of gaseous species including carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), dimethyl sulfide (DMS), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH3), hydrogen cyanide (HCN), methane (CH4), non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), halocarbons, oxygenated compounds, as well as for particulates. Emission factors for the two fires are combined with measurements of fuel loading, combustion completeness, and burned area to estimate the emissions of trace gases and particles from miombo woodland and dambo grassland fires in southern Africa during the dry season of 2000. These estimates indicate that in August and September of 2000 miombo woodland and dambo grassland fires in southern Africa accounted for about 30%, 25%, 15%, and 64% of the emissions of CO2, CO, total hydrocarbons, and total particulate matter, respectively, emitted from all types of savanna fires in southern Africa. It is also estimated that the ratios of dry season emissions from miombo woodland and dambo grassland fires in Zambia to annual emissions from the use of biofuels in Zambia for CO2, CO, NOx, formic acid, CH4, NH3, ethane, ethene, propene, acetylene, formaldehyde, methanol, and acetic acid are 3.2, 1.5, 7.2, 2.5, 0.2, 0.6, 0.2, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.6, 0.3, and 0.5, respectively.

Astronomy Landscape in Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemaungani, Takalani

2015-01-01

The vision for astronomy in Africa is embedded in the African Space Policy of the African Union in early 2014. The vision is about positioning Africa as an emerging hub for astronomy sciences and facilities. Africa recognized the need to take advantage of its natural resource, the geographical advantage of the clear southern skies and pristine sites for astronomy. The Pan African University (PAU) initiative also presents an opportunity as a post-graduate training and research network of university nodes in five regions of Africa and supported by the African Union. The Southern African node based in South Africa concentrates on space sciences which also includes astronomy. The PAU aims to provide the opportunity for advanced graduate training and postgraduate research to high-performing African students. Objectives also include promoting mobility of students and teachers and harmonizing programs and degrees.A number of astronomy initiatives have burgeoned in the Southern African region and these include the Southern Africa Largest Optical Telescope (SALT), HESS (High Energy Stereoscopic System), the SKA (Square Kilometre Array) and the AVN (African Very Long Baseline Interferometer Network). There is a growing appetite for astronomy sciences in Africa. In East Africa, the astronomy community is well organized and is growing - the East African Astronomical society (EAAS) held its successful fourth annual conference since 2010 on 30 June to 04 July 2014 at the University of Rwanda. Centred around the 'Role of Astronomy in Socio-Economic Transformation,' this conference aimed at strengthening capacity building in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Science in general, while providing a forum for astronomers from the region to train young and upcoming scientists.

A southern Africa harmonic spline core field model derived from CHAMP satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nahayo, E.; Kotzé, P. B.; McCreadie, H.

2015-02-01

The monitoring of the Earth's magnetic field time variation requires a continuous recording of geomagnetic data with a good spatial coverage over the area of study. In southern Africa, ground recording stations are limited and the use of satellite data is needed for the studies where high spatial resolution data is required. We show the fast time variation of the geomagnetic field in the southern Africa region by deriving an harmonic spline model from CHAMP satellite measurements recorded between 2001 and 2010. The derived core field model, the Southern Africa Regional Model (SARM), is compared with the global model GRIMM-2 and the ground based data recorded at Hermanus magnetic observatory (HER) in South Africa and Tsumeb magnetic observatory (TSU) in Namibia where the focus is mainly on the long term variation of the geomagnetic field. The results of this study suggest that the regional model derived from the satellite data alone can be used to study the small scale features of the time variation of the geomagnetic field where ground data is not available. In addition, these results also support the earlier findings of the occurrence of a 2007 magnetic jerk and rapid secular variation fluctuations of 2003 and 2004 in the region.

Ages for the Middle Stone Age of southern Africa: implications for human behavior and dispersal.

PubMed

Jacobs, Zenobia; Roberts, Richard G; Galbraith, Rex F; Deacon, Hilary J; Grün, Rainer; Mackay, Alex; Mitchell, Peter; Vogelsang, Ralf; Wadley, Lyn

2008-10-31

The expansion of modern human populations in Africa 80,000 to 60,000 years ago and their initial exodus out of Africa have been tentatively linked to two phases of technological and behavioral innovation within the Middle Stone Age of southern Africa-the Still Bay and Howieson's Poort industries-that are associated with early evidence for symbols and personal ornaments. Establishing the correct sequence of events, however, has been hampered by inadequate chronologies. We report ages for nine sites from varied climatic and ecological zones across southern Africa that show that both industries were short-lived (5000 years or less), separated by about 7000 years, and coeval with genetic estimates of population expansion and exit times. Comparison with climatic records shows that these bursts of innovative behavior cannot be explained by environmental factors alone.

New Technology Tools for Human Development? Towards Policy and Practice for Knowledge Societies in Southern Africa.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Phyllis

2002-01-01

Explores the interface of technology and education for human development in southern Africa. Uses the case of Mozambique to describe the challenges presented by the global marketplace and local policy. Outlines the vision of the New Partnership for Africa's Development Centre (SARDC) to reduce the digital divide for Africa. (CAJ)

Southern Africa as seen from STS-61 Shuttle Endeavour

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-12-09

STS061-106-091 (December 1993) --- The entire southern tip of Africa is shown in this high altitude 50mm photograph. The center of the photograph is at approximately 28.0 degrees south and 24.0 degrees east Cape Columbine is at the upper right with Durban at the lower center. The Orange River is at the upper center of the frame. Cape Agulas is the southernmost part of the African continent and is visible toward the upper right corner with the great bays of South Africa trending toward the bottom right. Continuing clockwise along the coast, Durban projects out into the Indian Ocean. The oceanic clouds on the right side of the photograph probably depict a current boundary. The Drakensberg Range on the east, the great Karoo Range to the south and the Karas Mountains on the west surround the drier central plateau. The southern Kalahari Desert is at the upper left of the photograph.

The DACCIWA 2016 radiosonde campaign in southern West Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fink, Andreas H.; Maranan, Marlon; Knippertz, Peter; Ngamini, Jean-Blaise; Francis, Sabastine

2017-04-01

Operational upper-air stations are very sparsely distributed over West Africa, resulting in the necessity to enhance radiosonde observations for the DACCIWA (Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in West Africa) experimental period during June-July 2016. Building on the AMMA (African Monsoon - Multidisciplinary Analyses) experience, existing infrastructures, as well as human networks, the upper air network was successfully augmented to a spatial density that is unprecedented for southern West Africa. Altogether, more than 750 experimental radiosondes were launched at seven stations in three countries along the Guinea Coast. From its outset, the DACCIWA radiosonde campaign had three pillars: (a) enhancing soundings at operational or quiescent AMMA radiosonde stations; (b) launching sondes at DACCIWA supersites and two additional DACCIWA field sites; and (c) collecting standard and - if possible - high-resolution data from other operational RS stations. In terms of (a), it was found during preparing recce visits to West Africa, that the AMMA-activated stations of Cotonou (Benin) and Abuja (Nigeria) were operational though almost "invisible" on the World Meteorological Organisation's Global Teleconnection System (GTS). These and other AMMA legacies facilitated the implementation of enhanced, four-times daily soundings at Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Cotonou and Parakou (both Benin). Two well-instrumented DACCIWA ground sites at Kumasi (Ghana) and Savé (Benin) performed 06 UTC soundings, being enhanced to four-times daily ascents during fifteen Intensive Observing Periods (IOPs). In addition, research staff and students from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and African partners conducted up to five-times daily soundings at Lamto (Ivory Coast) and Accra (Ghana). Almost all of the experimental DACCIWA ascents were submitted to the GTS in real time and assimilated at least at three European numerical weather prediction centres that helped to improve their

The genetic prehistory of southern Africa.

PubMed

Pickrell, Joseph K; Patterson, Nick; Barbieri, Chiara; Berthold, Falko; Gerlach, Linda; Güldemann, Tom; Kure, Blesswell; Mpoloka, Sununguko Wata; Nakagawa, Hirosi; Naumann, Christfried; Lipson, Mark; Loh, Po-Ru; Lachance, Joseph; Mountain, Joanna; Bustamante, Carlos D; Berger, Bonnie; Tishkoff, Sarah A; Henn, Brenna M; Stoneking, Mark; Reich, David; Pakendorf, Brigitte

2012-01-01

Southern and eastern African populations that speak non-Bantu languages with click consonants are known to harbour some of the most ancient genetic lineages in humans, but their relationships are poorly understood. Here, we report data from 23 populations analysed at over half a million single-nucleotide polymorphisms, using a genome-wide array designed for studying human history. The southern African Khoisan fall into two genetic groups, loosely corresponding to the northwestern and southeastern Kalahari, which we show separated within the last 30,000 years. We find that all individuals derive at least a few percent of their genomes from admixture with non-Khoisan populations that began ∼1,200 years ago. In addition, the East African Hadza and Sandawe derive a fraction of their ancestry from admixture with a population related to the Khoisan, supporting the hypothesis of an ancient link between southern and eastern Africa.

Environmental Education Research in Southern Africa: Dilemmas of Interpretation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gough, Annette; Gough, Noel

2004-01-01

These multiple framings of our reflections on environmental education research in southern Africa are written as dilemmas of interpretation that aim to disrupt any temptation to generalise or essentialise its qualities and characteristics. Recognising that research is a textual practice, we use J. M. Coetzee's portrayal of the dilemmas faced by…

Complete Khoisan and Bantu genomes from southern Africa

PubMed Central

Schuster, Stephan C.; Miller, Webb; Ratan, Aakrosh; Tomsho, Lynn P.; Giardine, Belinda; Kasson, Lindsay R.; Harris, Robert S.; Petersen, Desiree C.; Zhao, Fangqing; Qi, Ji; Alkan, Can; Kidd, Jeffrey M.; Sun, Yazhou; Drautz, Daniela I.; Bouffard, Pascal; Muzny, Donna M.; Reid, Jeffrey G.; Nazareth, Lynne V.; Wang, Qingyu; Burhans, Richard; Riemer, Cathy; Wittekindt, Nicola E.; Moorjani, Priya; Tindall, Elizabeth A.; Danko, Charles G.; Teo, Wee Siang; Buboltz, Anne M.; Zhang, Zhenhai; Ma, Qianyi; Oosthuysen, Arno; Steenkamp, Abraham W.; Oostuisen, Hermann; Venter, Philippus; Gajewski, John; Zhang, Yu; Pugh, B. Franklin; Makova, Kateryna D.; Nekrutenko, Anton; Mardis, Elaine R.; Patterson, Nick; Pringle, Tom H.; Chiaromonte, Francesca; Mullikin, James C.; Eichler, Evan E.; Hardison, Ross C.; Gibbs, Richard A.; Harkins, Timothy T.; Hayes, Vanessa M.

2013-01-01

The genetic structure of the indigenous hunter-gatherer peoples of southern Africa, the oldest known lineage of modern human, is important for understanding human diversity. Studies based on mitochondrial1 and small sets of nuclear markers2 have shown that these hunter-gatherers, known as Khoisan, San, or Bushmen, are genetically divergent from other humans1,3. However, until now, fully sequenced human genomes have been limited to recently diverged populations4–8. Here we present the complete genome sequences of an indigenous hunter-gatherer from the Kalahari Desert and a Bantu from southern Africa, as well as protein-coding regions from an additional three hunter-gatherers from disparate regions of the Kalahari. We characterize the extent of whole-genome and exome diversity among the five men, reporting 1.3 million novel DNA differences genome-wide, including 13,146 novel amino acid variants. In terms of nucleotide substitutions, the Bushmen seem to be, on average, more different from each other than, for example, a European and an Asian. Observed genomic differences between the hunter-gatherers and others may help to pinpoint genetic adaptations to an agricultural lifestyle. Adding the described variants to current databases will facilitate inclusion of southern Africans in medical research efforts, particularly when family and medical histories can be correlated with genome-wide data. PMID:20164927

"That Indefinable Something Besides": Southern Africa, British Identity, and the Authorial Informant, 1883-1924

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Free, Melissa

2009-01-01

This project examines the role of southern Africa (from the Cape to the Zambezi) in the constitution of British identity from the rise of the systematic exploitation of the region's mineral deposits through the close of World War One. Reading a wide variety of print culture produced by South Africa's "authorial informants"--British…

Characterizing wind power resource reliability in southern Africa

DOE PAGES

Fant, Charles; Gunturu, Bhaskar; Schlosser, Adam

2015-08-29

Producing electricity from wind is attractive because it provides a clean, low-maintenance power supply. However, wind resource is intermittent on various timescales, thus occasionally introducing large and sudden changes in power supply. A better understanding of this variability can greatly benefit power grid planning. In the following study, wind resource is characterized using metrics that highlight these intermittency issues; therefore identifying areas of high and low wind power reliability in southern Africa and Kenya at different time-scales. After developing a wind speed profile, these metrics are applied at various heights in order to assess the added benefit of raising themore » wind turbine hub. Furthermore, since the interconnection of wind farms can aid in reducing the overall intermittency, the value of interconnecting near-by sites is mapped using two distinct methods. Of the countries in this region, the Republic of South Africa has shown the most interest in wind power investment. For this reason, we focus parts of the study on wind reliability in the country. The study finds that, although mean Wind Power Density is high in South Africa compared to its neighboring countries, wind power resource tends to be less reliable than in other parts of southern Africa—namely central Tanzania. We also find that South Africa’s potential varies over different timescales, with higher reliability in the summer than winter, and higher reliability during the day than at night. This study is concluded by introducing two methods and measures to characterize the value of interconnection, including the use of principal component analysis to identify areas with a common signal.« less

Characterizing wind power resource reliability in southern Africa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fant, Charles; Gunturu, Bhaskar; Schlosser, Adam

Producing electricity from wind is attractive because it provides a clean, low-maintenance power supply. However, wind resource is intermittent on various timescales, thus occasionally introducing large and sudden changes in power supply. A better understanding of this variability can greatly benefit power grid planning. In the following study, wind resource is characterized using metrics that highlight these intermittency issues; therefore identifying areas of high and low wind power reliability in southern Africa and Kenya at different time-scales. After developing a wind speed profile, these metrics are applied at various heights in order to assess the added benefit of raising themore » wind turbine hub. Furthermore, since the interconnection of wind farms can aid in reducing the overall intermittency, the value of interconnecting near-by sites is mapped using two distinct methods. Of the countries in this region, the Republic of South Africa has shown the most interest in wind power investment. For this reason, we focus parts of the study on wind reliability in the country. The study finds that, although mean Wind Power Density is high in South Africa compared to its neighboring countries, wind power resource tends to be less reliable than in other parts of southern Africa—namely central Tanzania. We also find that South Africa’s potential varies over different timescales, with higher reliability in the summer than winter, and higher reliability during the day than at night. This study is concluded by introducing two methods and measures to characterize the value of interconnection, including the use of principal component analysis to identify areas with a common signal.« less

Dermatophytes and dermatophytosis in the eastern and southern parts of Africa.

PubMed

Nweze, E I; Eke, I E

2018-01-01

Dermatophytosis is currently a disease of global importance and a public health burden. It is caused by dermatophytes, which attack and grow on dead animal keratin. Dermatophytes belong to three genera, namely, Epidermophyton, Microsporum, and Trichophyton. The predominant clinical forms and causative agents vary from one region of the world to another. Poor socioeconomic status, high population densities, and poor sanitary conditions are some of the factors responsible for the high prevalence of dermatophytosis in many developing countries, which include countries in southern and eastern Africa, the focus of this review. To the best of our knowledge, there is currently no review article on published findings on dermatophytosis in the eastern and southern parts of Africa. This information will be of interest to the medical and research community since the world has become a global village. This review covers published research findings in eastern and southern regions of Africa until this date. The countries covered in the current review include Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. T. violaceum is the most common human etiological agent in all the countries under review with prevalence ranging from 56.7% to 95%, except for Madagascar (M. langeronii, reclassified as M. audouinii), Uganda (M. gypseum) and Malawi (M. audouinii). Tinea capitis was the most clinical type, followed by tinea corporis. Etiological agents of animal dermatophytoses were variable in the countries where they were reported. Major risk factors for dermatophytoses are age, climatic, and socioeconomic factors. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

On the effects of wildfires on precipitation in Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Sales, Fernando; Okin, Gregory S.; Xue, Yongkang; Dintwe, Kebonye

2018-03-01

This study investigates the impact of wildfire on the climate of Southern Africa. Moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer derived burned area fraction data was implemented in a set of simulations to assess primarily the role of wildfire-induced surface changes on monthly precipitation. Two post-fire scenarios are examined namely non-recovering and recovering vegetation scenarios. In the former, burned vegetation fraction remains burned until the end of the simulations, whereas in the latter it is allowed to regrow following a recovery period. Control simulations revealed that the model can dependably capture the monthly precipitation and surface temperature averages in Southern Africa thus providing a reasonable basis against which to assess the impacts of wildfire. In general, both wildfire scenarios have a negative impact on springtime precipitation. September and October were the only months with statistically significant precipitation changes. During these months, precipitation in the region decreases by approximately 13 and 9% in the non-recovering vegetation scenario, and by about 10 and 6% in the recovering vegetation wildfire scenario, respectively. The primary cause of precipitation deficit is the decrease in evapotranspiration resulting from a reduction in surface net radiation. Areas impacted by the precipitation reduction includes the Luanda, Kinshasa, and Brazzaville metropolitan areas, The Angolan Highlands, which are the source of the Okavango Rive, and the Okavango Delta region. This study suggests that a probable intensification in wildfire frequency and extent resulting from projected population increase and global warming in Southern Africa could potentially exacerbate the impacts of wildfires in the region's seasonal precipitation.

Amietia angolensis and A. fuscigula (Anura: Pyxicephalidae) in southern Africa: a cold case reheated.

PubMed

Channing, Alan; Baptista, Ninda

2013-01-01

A study combining DNA sequences of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, advertisement calls and morphology of some southern African river frogs confirms Amietia vandijki (Visser & Channing, 1997) as a good species. The form presently referred to as Amietia angolensis in southern Africa is shown to comprise two species: Amietia angolensis (Bocage, 1866) known from Angola, and Amietia quecketti (Boulenger, 1895) known from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Lesotho. Junior synonyms of A. quecketti include Rana theileri Mocquard, 1906 and Afrana dracomontana Channing, 1978. The form presently known as Amietia fuscigula is shown to consist of two distantly related taxa: Amietia fuscigula (Duméril & Bibron, 1841) from the south-western Cape and an undescribed species that we here name Amietia poyntoni sp. nov. Channing & Baptista, known from the rest of South Africa and Namibia. These five species have large differences in 16S sequences, as well as differences in morphology and advertisement call. Call and molecular data are both diagnostic, while morphology shows some overlap between taxa. An extended study of the genus across Africa is in preparation.

Africa burning: A thematic analysis of the Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swap, Robert J.; Annegarn, Harold J.; Suttles, J. Timothy; King, Michael D.; Platnick, Steven; Privette, Jeffrey L.; Scholes, Robert J.

2003-07-01

The Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000) was a major surface, airborne, and spaceborne field campaign carried out in southern Africa in 2000 and 2001 that addressed a broad range of phenomena related to land-atmosphere interactions and the biogeochemical functioning of the southern African system. This paper presents a thematic analysis and integration of the Journal of Geophysical Research SAFARI 2000 Special Issue, presenting key findings of an intensive field campaign over southern Africa in August and September of 2000. The integrating themes deal with surface emissions characterization; airborne characterizations of aerosols and trace gases; regional haze and trace gas characterization; and radiant measurements by surface, aircraft, and remote sensing platforms. Enhanced regional fuel loads associated with the moist La Niña phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle produced above average biomass burning emissions, which consequently dominated all other aerosol and trace gas emissions during the dry season. Southward transport of a broad plume of smoke originating in equatorial Africa and exiting off the east coast toward the Indian Ocean (the river of smoke) is attributed to unusual synoptic airflows associated the ENSO phase. New and revised biogenic and pyrogenic emission factors are reported, including a number of previously unreported oxygenated organic compounds and inorganic compounds from biomass combustion. Emission factors are scaled up to regional emission surfaces for biogenic species utilizing species specific and light-dependent emission factors. Fire scar estimates reveal contradictory information on the timing of the peak and extent of the biomass-burning season. Integrated tall stack coordinated measurements (between ground, airborne and remotely sensing platforms) of upwelling and downwelling radiation in massive thick aerosol layers covering much of southern Africa yield consistent estimates of large

The palaeoecological context of the Oldowan-Acheulean in southern Africa.

PubMed

Ecker, Michaela; Brink, James S; Rossouw, Lloyd; Chazan, Michael; Horwitz, Liora K; Lee-Thorp, Julia A

2018-05-21

The influence of climatic and environmental change on human evolution in the Pleistocene epoch is understood largely from extensive East African stable isotope records. These records show increasing proportions of C 4 plants in the Early Pleistocene. We know far less about the expansion of C 4 grasses at higher latitudes, which were also occupied by early Homo but are more marginal for C 4 plants. Here we show that both C 3 and C 4 grasses and prolonged wetlands remained major components of Early Pleistocene environments in the central interior of southern Africa, based on enamel stable carbon and oxygen isotope data and associated faunal abundance and phytolith evidence from the site of Wonderwerk Cave. Vegetation contexts associated with Oldowan and early Acheulean lithic industries, in which climate is driven by an interplay of regional rainfall seasonality together with global CO 2 levels, develop along a regional distinct trajectory compared to eastern South Africa and East Africa.

Emissions of Trace Gases and Particles from Savanna Fires in Southern Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sinha, Parikhit; Hobbs, Peter V.; Yokelson, Robert J.; Bertschi, Isaac T.; Blake, Donald R.; Simpson, Isobel J.; Gao, Song; Kirchstetter, Thomas W.; Novakov, Tica

2003-01-01

Airborne measurements made on initial smoke from 10 savanna fires in southern Africa provide quantitative data on emissions of 50 gaseous and particulate species, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, methane, ammonia, dimethyl sulfide, nonmethane organic compounds, halocarbons, gaseous organic acids, aerosol ionic components, carbonaceous aerosols, and condensation nuclei (CN). Measurements of several of the gaseous species by gas chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are compared. Emission ratios and emission factors are given for eight species that have not been reported previously for biomass burning of savanna in southern Africa (namely, dimethyl sulfide, methyl nitrate, five hydrocarbons, and particles with diameters from 0.1 to 3 microns). The emission factor that we measured for ammonia is lower by a factor of 4, and the emission factors for formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, and CN are greater by factors of about 3, 20, and 3 - 15, respectively, than previously reported values. The new emission factors are used to estimate annual emissions of these species from savanna fires in Africa and worldwide.

The pursuit of equity in health: reflections on race and public health data in Southern Africa.

PubMed Central

Bassett, M T

2000-01-01

The United States shares with Zimbabwe and South Africa a history of racial subjugation. A revision of the US racial classification to allow membership in more than one group means race may no longer be an exclusive characteristic. These issues also have been debated in southern Africa. In this commentary, the author reviews race classification in southern Africa and the use of race-specific public health data. Comparisons of illness and death rates across race groups have shown the health consequences of White privilege and Black disadvantage. But current public health data are not divided by race. The consequences of this policy are discussed. PMID:11076231

The pursuit of equity in health: reflections on race and public health data in Southern Africa.

PubMed

Bassett, M T

2000-11-01

The United States shares with Zimbabwe and South Africa a history of racial subjugation. A revision of the US racial classification to allow membership in more than one group means race may no longer be an exclusive characteristic. These issues also have been debated in southern Africa. In this commentary, the author reviews race classification in southern Africa and the use of race-specific public health data. Comparisons of illness and death rates across race groups have shown the health consequences of White privilege and Black disadvantage. But current public health data are not divided by race. The consequences of this policy are discussed.

Southern Africa seismic structure and source studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Ming

1998-09-01

The upper mantle seismic velocity structure beneath southern Africa is investigated using travel time and waveform data. Waveform and travel time data used in this study come mainly from a large mine tremor in South Africa (msb{b} 5.6) recorded on stations of the southern Africa and the Tanzania Broadband Seismic Experiment. Auxiliary data along similar profiles are obtained from other moderate events within eastern and southern Africa. The waveform data from the large tremor show upper mantle triplications for both the 400 and 670-km discontinuities between 18sp° and 27sp° distance. The most notable feature of the data is a large, late P phase that propagates to at least 27sp°. This phase is striking because of its late arrival time (as much as 15 seconds after direct P at 27sp°) and high amplitude relative to the first arrival. Travel times from all available stations are used to invert for the P wave velocity structure down to 800 km depth and S wave velocity structure down to 200 km using the Wiechert-Herglotz (W-H) inversion technique. The P wave velocities from the uppermost mantle down to 300 km are as much as 3% higher than the global average and are slightly slower than the global average between 300 and 400 km depths. The velocity gradient between 300 and 400 km is 0.0015 1/s. The S wave travel time data yield fast velocities above 200-km depth. The S wave velocity structure appears inconsistent with the P wave structure model indicating varying Poisson's ratio in the upper mantle. Little evidence is found for a pronounced upper mantle low velocity zone. Both sharp and gradual-change 400-km discontinuities are favored by the waveform data. The 670-km discontinuity appears as a gradual-change zone. The source mechanism of the mb 5.6 mining tremor itself is important for seismic discrimination and insight into mining tremor sources. Source parameters for this event as well as some other large mining tremors from the South African gold mines are studied

Creating Cultural Competence: An Outreach Immersion Experience in Southern Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West-Olatunji, Cirecie; Goodman, Rachael D.; Mehta, Sejal; Templeton, Laura

2011-01-01

With disasters on the rise, counselors need to increase their cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills to work with affected communities. This study reports outcomes of a four-week immersion experience in southern Africa with six counselor-trainees. Data sources for this qualitative study were: daily journals and demographic forms. Outcomes…

South Africa/Time Running Out.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Todd, Ed.

1984-01-01

Based on the book, "South Africa: Time Running Out," a report of the Study Commission on U.S. Policy Toward Southern Africa, this 10-20 day unit of study is designed to help high school students learn about the history, geography, and present situation in South Africa and its relationship to the United States. The first of four sections…

Water security for productive economies: Applying an assessment framework in southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmatov, Bunyod; Lautze, Jonathan; Manthrithilake, Herath; Makin, Ian

2017-08-01

Achieving water security has emerged as a major objective in Africa, yet an analytical or diagnostic framework for assessing water security in African countries is not known to exist. This paper applies one key dimension of the 2016 Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO) to assess levels of water security for productive economies in countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Economic aspects of water security cover four areas: economic activities in the broad sense, agriculture, electricity, and industry. Water security in each area is measured through application of a set of indicators; results of indicator application are then aggregated to determine economic water security at a country-level. Results show that economic water security in SADC is greatest in the Seychelles and South Africa, and lowest in Madagascar and Malawi. Opportunities for strengthening economic water security in the majority of SADC countries exist through improving agricultural water productivity, strengthening resilience, and expanding sustainable electricity generation. More profoundly, this paper suggests that there is clear potential and utility in applying approaches used elsewhere to assess economic water security in southern Africa.

Implications of Nubian-Like Core Reduction Systems in Southern Africa for the Identification of Early Modern Human Dispersals

PubMed Central

Phillips, Natasha

2015-01-01

Lithic technologies have been used to trace dispersals of early human populations within and beyond Africa. Convergence in lithic systems has the potential to confound such interpretations, implying connections between unrelated groups. Due to their reductive nature, stone artefacts are unusually prone to this chance appearance of similar forms in unrelated populations. Here we present data from the South African Middle Stone Age sites Uitpanskraal 7 and Mertenhof suggesting that Nubian core reduction systems associated with Late Pleistocene populations in North Africa and potentially with early human migrations out of Africa in MIS 5 also occur in southern Africa during early MIS 3 and with no clear connection to the North African occurrence. The timing and spatial distribution of their appearance in southern and northern Africa implies technological convergence, rather than diffusion or dispersal. While lithic technologies can be a critical guide to human population flux, their utility in tracing early human dispersals at large spatial and temporal scales with stone artefact types remains questionable. PMID:26125972

Terrestrial heat flow in east and southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyblade, Andrew A.; Pollack, Henry N.; Jones, D. L.; Podmore, Francis; Mushayandebvu, Martin

1990-10-01

We report 26 new heat flow and 13 radiogenic heat production measurements from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania, together with details and some revisions of 18 previous heat flow measurements by other investigators from Kenya and Tanzania. These measurements come from Archean cratons, Proterozoic mobile belts, and Mesozoic and Cenozoic rifts. Heat flow data from eight new sites in the Archean Zimbabwe Craton are consistent with previous measurements in the Archean Kaapvaal-Zimbabwe Craton and Limpopo Belt (Kalahari Craton) and do not change the mean heat flow of 47±2 mW m-2 (standard error of the mean) in the Kalahari Craton based on 53 previous measurements. Eight new sites in the Archean Tanzania Craton give a mean heat flow of 34±4 mW m-2. The mean heat flow from nine sites in the Proterozoic Mozambique Belt to the east of the Tanzania Craton in Kenya and Tanzania is 47±4 mW m-2. Twelve measurements in the Mesozoic rifted continental margin in east Africa give a mean heat flow of 68±4 mW m-2; four measurements in the Mesozoic Luangwa and Zambezi Rifts range from 44 to 110 mW m-2 with a mean of 76±14 mW m-2. In comparing heat flow in east and southern Africa, we observe a common heat flow pattern of increasing heat flow away from the centers of the Archean cratons. This pattern suggests a fundamental difference in lithospheric thermal structure between the Archean cratons and the Proterozoic and early Paleozoic mobile belts which surround them. Superimposed on this common pattern are two regional variations in heat flow. Heat flow in the Tanzania Craton is lower by about 13 mW m-2 than in the Kalahari Craton, and in the Mozambique Belt in east Africa heat flow is somewhat lower than in the southern African mobile belts at similar distances from the Archean cratonic margin. The two regional variations can be explained in several ways, none of which can as yet be elevated to a preferred status: (1) by variations in crustal heat production, (2) by thin

Climate change and wildfire around southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimura, K.

2013-12-01

When the climate change in southern Africa is analyzed, the effects of rainfall by Inter Tropical Convergence Zone(ITCZ) and cyclone are important. In this study, the rainfall patterns are analyzed with synoptic analysis. The southern limit of ITCZ is around the arid zone around Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. This zone has some effects of both ITCZ and extratropical cyclones by season. As well as this, the eastern part of this area has heavy rainfall by the cyclone from the Indian Ocean once in several years. In the other hand, a lot of wildfire occurs in this area. The main cause of the wildfire is anthropogenic misbehavior of the fire by the slash-and-burn agriculture. Recently we can find the wildfire detected with the satellite imagery like Terra/Aqua MODIS. We can compare the weather environment and the wildfire occurrence with Geographical Information System. We have tried making the fire weather index suitable for the southern African semi-arid area.

Hydrologic modeling for monitoring water availability in Eastern and Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNally, A.; Harrison, L.; Shukla, S.; Pricope, N. G.; Peters-Lidard, C. D.

2017-12-01

Severe droughts in 2015, 2016 and 2017 in Ethiopia, Southern Africa, and Somalia have negatively impacted agriculture and municipal water supplies resulting in food and water insecurity. Information from remotely sensed data and field reports indicated that the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) Land Data Assimilation (FLDAS) accurately tracked both the anomalously low soil moisture, evapotranspiration and runoff conditions. This work presents efforts to more precisely monitor how the water balance responds to water availability deficits (i.e. drought) as estimated by the FLDAS with CHIRPS precipitation, MERRA-2 meteorological forcing and the Noah33 land surface model.Preliminary results indicate that FLDAS streamflow estimates are well correlated with observed streamflow where irrigation and other channel modifications are not present; FLDAS evapotranspiration (ET) is well correlated with ET from the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance model (SSEBop) in Eastern and Southern Africa. We then use these results to monitor availability, and explore trends in water supply and demand.

The Influence of Infant Feeding Practices on Infant Mortality in Southern Africa.

PubMed

Motsa, Lungile F; Ibisomi, Latifat; Odimegwu, Clifford

2016-10-01

Objective To examine the adjusted and unadjusted effects of infant feeding practices on infant mortality in Southern Africa. Methods A merged dataset from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys for Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe was analysed using the Cox Proportional Hazard Model. A total number of 13,218 infants born in 5 years preceding all the surveys with information on infant feeding practices constituted the study population. Infant mortality was the outcome variable and infant feeding practices categorised into; no breastfeeding, partial breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding were the main explanatory variables. Maternal demographic and socio-economic characteristics and infants' bio-demographic characteristics were also studied. Results Although, exclusive breastfeeding was quite low (12 %), exclusively breastfed infants exhibited a 97 % lower risk of dying during infancy compared to infants not breastfed in the region. Variations existed by country in the levels and patterns of both infant mortality and infant feeding practices. Mother's country, highest level of education and marital status; child's sex, birth weight and preceding birth interval were the significant predictors of infant mortality in Southern Africa. Conclusions Any form of breastfeeding whether exclusive or partial breastfeeding greatly reduces the risk of infant mortality with the greatest mortality reduction effect observed among exclusively breastfed infants in Southern Africa. To reduce the upsurge of infant mortality, there is the need to step up the effectiveness of child nutrition programmes that promote breastfeeding and put emphasis on exclusive breastfeeding of infants in the region.

Modelling Bambara Groundnut Yield in Southern Africa: Towards a Climate-Resilient Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karunaratne, A. S.; Walker, S.; Ruane, A. C.

2015-01-01

Current agriculture depends on a few major species grown as monocultures that are supported by global research underpinning current productivity. However, many hundreds of alternative crops have the potential to meet real world challenges by sustaining humanity, diversifying agricultural systems for food and nutritional security, and especially responding to climate change through their resilience to certain climate conditions. Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.), an underutilised African legume, is an exemplar crop for climate resilience. Predicted yield performances of Bambara groundnut by AquaCrop (a crop-water productivity model) were evaluated for baseline (1980-2009) and mid-century climates (2040-2069) under 20 downscaled Global Climate Models (CMIP5-RCP8.5), as well as for climate sensitivities (AgMIPC3MP) across 3 locations in Southern Africa (Botswana, South Africa, Namibia). Different land - races of Bambara groundnut originating from various semi-arid African locations showed diverse yield performances with diverse sensitivities to climate. S19 originating from hot-dry conditions in Namibia has greater future yield potential compared to the Swaziland landrace Uniswa Red-UN across study sites. South Africa has the lowest yield under the current climate, indicating positive future yield trends. Namibia reported the highest baseline yield at optimum current temperatures, indicating less yield potential in future climates. Bambara groundnut shows positive yield potential at temperatures of up to 31degC, with further warming pushing yields down. Thus, many regions in Southern Africa can utilize Bambara groundnut successfully in the coming decades. This modelling exercise supports decisions on genotypic suitability for present and future climates at specific locations.

The cost of HIV/AIDS to businesses in southern Africa.

PubMed

Rosen, Sydney; Vincent, Jeffrey R; MacLeod, William; Fox, Matthew; Thea, Donald M; Simon, Jonathon L

2004-01-23

Information on the potential costs of HIV/AIDS to the private sector is needed if companies are to be given a financial incentive to invest in prevention and treatment interventions. To estimate the cost of HIV/AIDS to businesses in southern Africa using company-specific data on employees, costs, and HIV prevalence. : Six formal sector enterprises in South Africa and Botswana provided detailed human resource, financial, and medical data and carried out voluntary, anonymous HIV seroprevalence surveys. The present value of incident HIV infections with a 9-year median survival and 7% real discount rate was estimated. Costs included were sick leave; productivity loss; supervisory time; retirement, death, disability, and medical benefits; and recruitment and training of replacement workers. HIV prevalence in the workforces studied ranged from 7.9 to 25.0%. HIV/AIDS among employees added 0.4-5.9% to the companies' annual salary and wage bills. The present value of an incident HIV infection ranged from 0.5 to 3.6 times the annual salary of the affected worker. Costs varied widely across firms and among job levels within firms. Key reasons for the differences included HIV prevalence, levels and stability of employee benefits, and the contractual status of unskilled workers. Some costs were omitted from the analysis because of lack of data, and results should be regarded as quite conservative. AIDS is causing labor costs for businesses in southern Africa to rise and threatens the competitiveness of African industry. Research on the effectiveness of workplace interventions is urgently needed.

The Impact of International Teacher Migration on Schooling in Developing Countries--The Case of Southern Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appleton, Simon; Sives, Amanda; Morgan, W. John

2006-01-01

Whilst the migration of teachers has been a phenomenon for hundreds of years, the advent of "globalisation" has seen such migration return to prominence. This article focuses on the experiences of two developing countries in Southern Africa which have been on different ends of the process: South Africa as a net sender of teachers and…

Generating High Resolution Climate Scenarios Through Regional Climate Modelling Over Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ndhlovu, G. Z.; Woyessa, Y. E.; Vijayaraghavan, S.

2017-12-01

limate change has impacted the global environment and the Continent of Africa, especially Southern Africa, regarded as one of the most vulnerable regions in Africa, has not been spared from these impacts. Global Climate Models (GCMs) with coarse horizontal resolutions of 150-300 km do not provide sufficient details at the local basin scale due to mismatch between the size of river basins and the grid cell of the GCM. This makes it difficult to apply the outputs of GCMs directly to impact studies such as hydrological modelling. This necessitates the use of regional climate modelling at high resolutions that provide detailed information at regional and local scales to study both climate change and its impacts. To this end, an experiment was set up and conducted with PRECIS, a regional climate model, to generate climate scenarios at a high resolution of 25km for the local region in Zambezi River basin of Southern Africa. The major input data used included lateral and surface boundary conditions based on the GCMs. The data is processed, analysed and compared with CORDEX climate change project data generated for Africa. This paper, highlights the major differences of the climate scenarios generated by PRECIS Model and CORDEX Project for Africa and further gives recommendations for further research on generation of climate scenarios. The climatic variables such as precipitation and temperatures have been analysed for flood and droughts in the region. The paper also describes the setting up and running of an experiment using a high-resolution PRECIS model. In addition, a description has been made in running the model and generating the output variables on a sub basin scale. Regional climate modelling which provides information on climate change impact may lead to enhanced understanding of adaptive water resources management. Understanding the regional climate modelling results on sub basin scale is the first step in analysing complex hydrological processes and a basis for

Environmental change in subtropical southern Africa since the Last Glacial Maximum: a case study from Etosha Pan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mauz, Barbara

2014-05-01

Millennial-scale climate shifts described by Heinrich Events and Dansgard-Oeschger Cycles occurred in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres asynchronously. It has been suggested that combined influence of the oceanic bipolar seesaw and the southward displacement of the south hemisphere (SH) westerlies, both linked to northern stadials, allowed the high southern latitudes to warm as a result of melting and collapse of NH ice sheets (Denton et al. 2010). For tropical southern Africa most terrestrial records delivering observational data for such climate scenario are derived from east African rift valley lakes (e.g. Olaka et al., 2010) but further to the west data are sparse. Here we report about a palaeoclimate proxy extracted from Etosha Pan, a vast endorheic plain in southern west Africa. It is situated at the southern border of tropical Africa, at the eastern border of the coastal area influenced by the Benguela current and at the western border of inland Africa influenced by the Indian Ocean. It is therefore supposed to be sensitive to climate change and provides the opportunity to link its lake record with the drastic hydrological changes that occurred in east African rift-valley lakes during deglaciation. Using OSL dating and sediment analysis to constrain lake shorelines of perennial lakes in time and space, we found high lake levels during the late Pleistocene and a drastic drop shortly after 10 ka. This lake water-level reconstruction is not in line with the histories of ITCZ migration and strength of Benguela current upwelling. We confirm that the linkages between the evolution of the Etosha Pan and the climate mechanisms driving hydrological changes in subtropical southwest Africa are poorly resolved and need further investigation. The paper discusses these findings in the context of SH palaeoclimate records.

Review of Occupational Health and Safety Organization in Expanding Economies: The Case of Southern Africa.

PubMed

Moyo, Dingani; Zungu, Muzimkhulu; Kgalamono, Spoponki; Mwila, Chimba D

2015-01-01

Globally, access to occupational health and safety (OHS) by workers has remained at very low levels. The organization and implementation of OHS in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana has remained at suboptimal levels. Inadequacy of human resource capital, training, and education in the field of OHS has had a major negative impact on the improvement of worker access to such services in expanding economies. South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana have expanding economies with active mining and agricultural activities that pose health and safety risks to the working population. A literature review and country systems inquiry on the organization of OHS services in the 4 countries was carried out. Because of the infancy and underdevelopment of OHS in southern Africa, literature on the status of this topic is limited. In the 4 countries under review, OHS services are a function shared either wholly or partially by 3 ministries, namely Health, Labor, and Mining. Other ministries, such as Environment and Agriculture, carry small fragments of OHS function. The 4 countries are at different stages of OHS legislative frameworks that guide the practice of health and safety in the workplace. Inadequacies in human resource capital and expertise in occupational health and safety are noted major constraints in the implementation and compliance to health and safety initiatives in the work place. South Africa has a more mature system than Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. Lack of specialized training in occupational health services, such as occupational medicine specialization for physicians, has been a major drawback in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. The full adoption and success of OHS systems in Southern Africa remains constrained. Training and education in OHS, especially in occupational medicine, will enhance the development and maturation of occupational health in southern Africa. Capacitating primary health services with basic occupational health knowledge would

Emissions of mercury in Southern Africa derived from long-term observations at Cape Point, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunke, E.-G.; Ebinghaus, R.; Kock, H. H.; Labuschagne, C.; Slemr, F.

2012-05-01

Mercury emissions in South Africa have so far been estimated only by a bottom-up approach from activities and emission factors for different processes. In this paper we derive GEM/CO (GEM being gaseous elemental mercury, Hg0), GEM/CO2, GEM/CH4, CO/CO2, CH4/CO2, and CH4/CO emission ratios from plumes observed during long-term monitoring of these species at Cape Point between March 2007 and December 2009. The average observed GEM/CO, GEM/CO2, GEM/CH4, CO/CO2, CH4/CO2, and CH4/CO emission ratios were 2.40 ± 2.65 pg m-3 ppb-1 (n = 47), 62.7 ± 80.2 pg m-3 ppb-1 (n = 44), 3.61 ± 4.66 pg m-3 ppb-1 (n = 46), 35.6 ± 25.4 ppb ppm-1 (n = 52), 20.2 ± 15.5 ppb ppm-1 (n=48), and 0.876 ± 1.106 ppb ppm-1 (n=42), respectively. The observed CO/CO2, CH4/CO2, and CH4/CO emission ratios agree within the combined uncertainties of the observations and emissions with the ratios calculated from EDGAR (version 4.2) CO2, CO, and CH4 inventories for South Africa and Southern Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique) in 2007 and 2008 (inventories for 2009 are not available yet). Total elemental mercury emission of 13.1, 15.2, and 16.1 t Hg yr-1 are estimated independently using the GEM/CO, GEM/CO2, and GEM/CH4 emission ratios and the annual mean CO, CO2, and CH4 emissions, respectively, of South Africa in 2007 and 2008. The average of these independent estimates of 14.8 ± 1.5 t GEM yr-1 is much less than the total emission of 257 t Hg yr-1 from older inventories. Considering that emission of GEM represents only 50-78% of all mercury emissions, our estimates come close to the total mercury emission estimates ranging between 40-50 t Hg yr-1 from more recent inventories.

Serum uric acid concentrations in a Xhosa community in the Transkei of Southern Africa.

PubMed

Beighton, P; Daynes, G; Soskolne, C L

1976-02-01

Serum uric acid (SUA) concentrations were measured in specimens obtained from 479 respondents aged 15 and over during an epidemiological survey of bone and joint conditions in a tribal Xhosa community living in the Transkei, Southern Africa. Population SUA levels in the Xhosa were significantly lower than those previously observed in South Africa Negro groups in rural and urban environments. This finding agrees with the observations that population SUA concentrations tend to rise with increasing complexity of life style.

21st Century African Philosophy of Adult and Human Resource Education in Southern Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mutamba, Charlene

2012-01-01

This paper will attempt to define a philosophy of adult education for the purpose of workforce development in Southern Africa. The different influences such as Ubuntu and communalism, indigenous education, diversity western philosophy, globalization and technology are explored in the context of the Southern African region.

Modelling Southern Africa Air Quality and Atmosphere: Importance and Interplay of Natural and Anthropogenic Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garland, R. M.; Naidoo, M.; Dedekind, Z.; Sibiya, B.; Piketh, S.; Engelbrecht, C. J.; Engelbrecht, F.

2017-12-01

Many parts of the southern hemisphere are linked in part due to the strong impact that emissions from natural sources, such as large biomass burning events and marine sources, as well as growing anthropogenic emission sources. Most of southern Africa has an arid to semi-arid climate that is strongly impacted by biomass burning, biogenic and dust emissions. In addition, there are areas of growing industrialization and urbanization that contributes to poor air quality. This air pollution can impact not only human health, but also agriculture, ecosystems, and the climate. This presentation will highlight on-going research to simulate the southern Africa atmosphere and impacts, with a focus on the interplay and relative importance of natural and anthropogenic emissions. The presentation will discuss the simulated sensitivity of the southern African climate to aerosol particles to highlight the importance of natural sources. These historical simulations (1979-2012) were performed with CCAM and are towards the development of the first Africa-led earth systems model. The analysis focused on the simulated sensitivity of the climate and clouds off the southwestern coast of Africa to aerosol particles. The interplay between natural and anthropogenic sources on air pollution will be highlighted using the Waterberg region of South Africa as a case study. CAMx was run at 2km resolution for 2013 using local emission inventories and meteorological output from CCAM to simulate the air quality of the region. These simulations estimate that, on average in the summer, up to 20% of ozone in and around a power plant plume is attributable to biogenic sources of VOCs, with ozone peaks of up to 120ppb; highlighting the importance of understanding the mix of pollutants in this area. In addition to presenting results from this study, the challenges in modelling will be highlighted. These challenges include very few or no measurements that are important to understand, and then accurately

South Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

This true-color image of South Africa was acquired on May 14, 2000, by NASA's Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or MODIS. The image was produced using a combination of the sensor's 250-m and 500-m resolution visible wavelength bands. As part of the opening ceremony to begin the joint U.S.-South Africa SAFARI Field Experiment, NASA presented print copies of this image as GIFts to Dr. Ben Ngubane, Minister of Arts, Science and Technology, and Honorable Advocate Ngoaka Ramathlodi, Premier of the Northern Province, South Africa. The area shown in this image encompasses seven capital cities and a number of the region's distinctive geological features can be seen clearly. Toward the northern (top) central part of the image, the browns and tans comprise the Kalahari Desert of southern Botswana. The Tropic of Capricorn runs right through the heart of the Kalahari and the Botswanan capital city of Gaborone sits on the Limpopo River, southeast of the Kalahari. Along the western coastline of the continent is the country of Namibia, where the Namib Desert is framed against the sea by the Kaokoveld Mountains. The Namibian capital of Windhoek is obscured by clouds. Looking closely in the center of the image, the Orange River can be seen running from east to west, demarcating the boundary between Namibia and South Africa. On the southwestern corner of the continent is the hook-like Cape of Good Hope peninsula and Cape Town, the parliamentary capital of South Africa. Running west to east away from Cape Town are the Great Karroo Mountains. The shadow in this image conveys a sense of the very steep grade of the cliffs along the southern coast of South Africa. Port Elizabeth sits on the southeasternmost point of South Africa, and a large phytoplankton bloom can be seen in the water about 100 miles east of there. Moving northward along the east coast, the Drakensberg Mountains are visible. The two small nations of Lesotho and Swaziland are in this region, completely

Last interglacial semi-desert expansions in southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urrego, D. H.; Sanchez Goni, M.; Lechevrel, S.; Daniau, A.

2013-05-01

While our understanding of the effects of orbital-scale variability on the vegetation has grown during the past decades, empirical data from some climatically important periods and regions are still lacking. Scarce data exist for instance for deep-time glacial-interglacial cycles that could provide suitable analogs for current climate change. Recent global-scale syntheses of vegetation responses to rapid events during the last glacial have been useful, however, these global compilations clearly show that some regions, namely the southern tropics and subtropics, remain understudied. We use pollen analysis of marine sediments from core MD96-2098 to produce a paleoenvironmental record from southern Africa spanning MIS 6 to 3. Our interpretations are supported by an analysis of present-day pollen-vegetation-climate relationships for the region. We applied canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) on pollen spectra from terrestrial surface samples to investigate these relationships and to identify pollen taxa that are suitable bioclimatic indicators for the different South African biomes. Semi-desert vegetation dominated southern Africa during the MIS 5 interglacial. Expansion of the semi-desert biome into the Namib desert likely resulted from the reduction of the Benguela upwelling and a relative decrease in aridity. In its eastern boundary, the semi-desert likely expanded at the expense of grasslands as a result of increased subtropical high pressure and reduced summer precipitation. Semi-desert expansion in its southern boundary probably resulted from reduced influence of the southern westerlies and decreased winter precipitation. This atmospheric configuration was probably exacerbated during the three warm substages of MIS 5. During glacial isotopic stages MIS 6, 4 and 3 grasslands gained area over the semi-desert as summer precipitation increased. The area occupied by Fynbos vegetation was particularly large at the

Emissions of mercury in southern Africa derived from long-term observations at Cape Point, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunke, E.-G.; Ebinghaus, R.; Kock, H. H.; Labuschagne, C.; Slemr, F.

2012-08-01

Mercury emissions in South Africa have so far been estimated only by a bottom-up approach from activities and emission factors for different processes. In this paper we derive GEM/CO (GEM being gaseous elemental mercury, Hg0), GEM/CO2, GEM/CH4, CO/CO2, CH4/CO2, and CH4/CO emission ratios from plumes observed during long-term monitoring of these species at Cape Point between March 2007 and December 2009. The average observed GEM/CO, GEM/CO2, GEM/CH4, CO/CO2, CH4/CO2, and CH4/CO emission ratios were 2.40 ± 2.65 pg m-3 ppb-1 (n = 47), 62.7 ± 80.2 pg m-3 ppm-1 (n = 44), 3.61 ± 4.66 pg m-3 ppb-1 (n = 46), 35.6 ± 25.4 ppb ppm-1 (n = 52), 20.2 ± 15.5 ppb ppm-1 (n = 48), and 0.876 ± 1.106 ppb ppb-1 (n = 42), respectively. The observed CO/CO2, CH4/CO2, and CH4/CO emission ratios agree within the combined uncertainties of the observations and emissions with the ratios calculated from EDGAR (version 4.2) CO2, CO, and CH4 inventories for South Africa and southern Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique) in 2007 and 2008 (inventories for 2009 are not available yet). Total elemental mercury emission of 13.1, 15.2, and 16.1 t Hg yr-1 are estimated independently using the GEM/CO, GEM/CO2, and GEM/CH4 emission ratios and the annual mean CO, CO2, and CH4 emissions, respectively, of South Africa in 2007 and 2008. The average of these independent estimates of 14.8 t GEM yr-1 is much less than the total emission of 257 t Hg yr-1 shown by older inventories which are now considered to be wrong. Considering the uncertainties of our emission estimate, of the emission inventories, and the fact that emission of GEM represents 50-78 % of all mercury emissions, our estimate is comparable to the currently cited GEM emissions in 2004 and somewhat smaller than emissions in 2006. A further increase of mercury emissions due to increasing electricity consumption will lead to a more pronounced difference. A quantitative assessment of the difference

Treating chancroid: summary of studies in southern Africa.

PubMed Central

Ballard, R C; Duncan, M O; Fehler, H G; Dangor, Y; Exposto, F L; Latif, A S

1989-01-01

Recent studies undertaken in southern Africa and elsewhere indicate that many short or single dose treatments are available to treat chancroid. Erythromycin 500 mg three times a day for five days, ciprofloxacin 500 mg, sulphamethopyrazine 800 mg and trimethoprim 1000 mg or sulphametrole 3200 mg and trimethoprim 640 mg as single oral doses, or ceftriaxone 250 mg as a single intramuscular injection are all effective in treating the disease. The widespread use of these regimens largely depends on the accuracy of diagnosis, susceptibilities of local Haemophilus ducreyi isolates to antimicrobials, and financial considerations. PMID:2629710

Serum uric acid concentrations in a Xhosa community in the Transkei of Southern Africa.

PubMed Central

Beighton, P; Daynes, G; Soskolne, C L

1976-01-01

Serum uric acid (SUA) concentrations were measured in specimens obtained from 479 respondents aged 15 and over during an epidemiological survey of bone and joint conditions in a tribal Xhosa community living in the Transkei, Southern Africa. Population SUA levels in the Xhosa were significantly lower than those previously observed in South Africa Negro groups in rural and urban environments. This finding agrees with the observations that population SUA concentrations tend to rise with increasing complexity of life style. PMID:1275585

History and origin of the HIV-1 subtype C epidemic in South Africa and the greater southern African region

PubMed Central

Wilkinson, Eduan; Engelbrecht, Susan; de Oliveira, Tulio

2015-01-01

HIV has spread at an alarming rate in South Africa, making it the country with the highest number of HIV infections. Several studies have investigated the histories of HIV-1 subtype C epidemics but none have done so in the context of social and political transformation in southern Africa. There is a need to understand how these processes affects epidemics, as socio-political transformation is a common and on-going process in Africa. Here, we genotyped strains from the start of the epidemic and applied phylodynamic techniques to determine the history of the southern Africa and South African epidemic from longitudinal sampled data. The southern African epidemic’s estimated dates of origin was placed around 1960 (95% HPD 1956–64), while dynamic reconstruction revealed strong growth during the 1970s and 80s. The South African epidemic has a similar origin, caused by multiple introductions from neighbouring countries, and grew exponentially during the 1980s and 90s, coinciding with socio-political changes in South Africa. These findings provide an indication as to when the epidemic started and how it has grown, while the inclusion of sequence data from the start of the epidemic provided better estimates. The epidemic have stabilized in recent years with the expansion of antiretroviral therapy. PMID:26574165

Southern Africa Validation of NASA's Earth Observing System (SAVE EOS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Privette, Jeffrey L.

2000-01-01

Southern Africa Validation of EOS (SAVE) is 4-year, multidisciplinary effort to validate operational and experimental products from Terra-the flagship satellite of NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS). At test sites from Zambia to South Africa, we are measuring soil, vegetation and atmospheric parameters over a range of ecosystems for comparison with products from Terra, Landsat 7, AVHRR and SeaWiFS. The data are also employed to parameterize and improve vegetation process models. Fixed-point and mobile "transect" sampling are used to collect the ground data. These are extrapolated over larger areas with fine-resolution multispectral imagery. We describe the sites, infrastructure, and measurement strategies developed underSAVE, as well as initial results from our participation in the first Intensive Field Campaign of SAFARI 2000. We also describe SAVE's role in the Kalahari Transect Campaign (February/March 2000) in Zambia and Botswana.

Next Year Will Be a Good Year--Southern Africa's Dreadful Dryland Farming Disaster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johns, Maria

1992-01-01

Discusses how agricultural productivity in drought stricken southern Africa is diminished by economically and ecologically unsustainable agricultural practices. A vignette provides alternative farming techniques appropriate for dry regions with an emphasis on respect for the land. (MCO)

Southern Africa Development Coordinating Conference and Its Security Implications

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-03

CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE (When Data lintered) REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE ;READ INSTRUCTIONS R TP BEFORE COMPLETING FORM I. REPORT NUMBER 12. GOVT...ACCESSION NO., RECIPIENT’S CATALOG NUMBER . TITLE (an1d Su~btile) TYPE OF REPORT , PERIOD COVERED Southern Africa Development Coordinating Conference and...OFFICE NAME AND ADn1PE-c 12. RCPOr,7 DATE 3 April 1989 f3. NUMBER OF PAGE.3 55 14. MONITORING AGENCY NAME & AODRESS(If different from Controlling Office

Hydrological Response and Complex Impact Pathways of the 2015/2016 El Niño in Eastern and Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siderius, C.; Gannon, K. E.; Ndiyoi, M.; Opere, A.; Batisani, N.; Olago, D.; Pardoe, J.; Conway, D.

2018-01-01

The 2015/2016 El Niño has been classified as one of the three most severe on record. El Niño teleconnections are commonly associated with droughts in southern Africa and high precipitation in eastern Africa. Despite their relatively frequent occurrence, evidence for their hydrological effects and impacts beyond agriculture is limited. We examine the hydrological response and impact pathways of the 2015/2016 El Niño in eastern and southern Africa, focusing on Botswana, Kenya, and Zambia. We use in situ and remotely sensed time series of precipitation, river flow, and lake levels complemented by qualitative insights from interviews with key organizations in each country about awareness, impacts, and responses. Our results show that drought conditions prevailed in large parts of southern Africa, reducing runoff and contributing to unusually low lake levels in Botswana and Zambia. Key informants characterized this El Niño through record high temperatures and water supply disruption in Botswana and through hydroelectric load shedding in Zambia. Warnings of flood risk in Kenya were pronounced, but the El Niño teleconnection did not materialize as expected in 2015/2016. Extreme precipitation was limited and caused localized impacts. The hydrological impacts in southern Africa were severe and complex, strongly exacerbated by dry antecedent conditions, recent changes in exposure and sensitivity and management decisions. Improved understanding of hydrological responses and the complexity of differing impact pathways can support design of more adaptive, region-specific management strategies.

Epidemiologic and Environmental Risk Factors of Rift Valley Fever in Southern Africa from 2008 to 2011.

PubMed

Glancey, Margaret M; Anyamba, Assaf; Linthicum, Kenneth J

2015-08-01

Rift Valley fever (RVF) outbreaks have been associated with periods of widespread and above-normal rainfall over several months. Knowledge on the environmental factors influencing disease transmission dynamics has provided the basis for developing models to predict RVF outbreaks in Africa. From 2008 to 2011, South Africa experienced the worst wave of RVF outbreaks in almost 40 years. We investigated rainfall-associated environmental factors in southern Africa preceding these outbreaks. RVF epizootic records obtained from the World Animal Health Information Database (WAHID), documenting livestock species affected, location, and time, were analyzed. Environmental variables including rainfall and satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data were collected and assessed in outbreak regions to understand the underlying drivers of the outbreaks. The predominant domestic vertebrate species affected in 2008 and 2009 were cattle, when outbreaks were concentrated in the eastern provinces of South Africa. In 2010 and 2011, outbreaks occurred in the interior and southern provinces affecting over 16,000 sheep. The highest number of cases occurred between January and April but epidemics occurred in different regions every year, moving from the northeast of South Africa toward the southwest with each progressing year. The outbreaks showed a pattern of increased rainfall preceding epizootics ranging from 9 to 152 days; however, NDVI and rainfall were less correlated with the start of the outbreaks than has been observed in eastern Africa. Analyses of the multiyear RVF outbreaks of 2008 to 2011 in South Africa indicated that rainfall, NDVI, and other environmental and geographical factors, such as land use, drainage, and topography, play a role in disease emergence. Current and future investigations into these factors will be able to contribute to improving spatial accuracy of models to map risk areas, allowing adequate time for preparation and prevention

Making a Case for Epistemological Access in Biotechnology Education in Southern Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mollett, Jean; Cameron, Ann

2016-01-01

In southern Africa, biotechnology is increasingly important with regard to food security and the development of the pharmaceutical industry. Universities are tasked with providing the relevant capacity development through tertiary-level courses to meet these development needs. However, the knowledge and practices of biotechnology may be…

The Africa South America Intercontinental Teleconnection.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, K. H.; Hsieh, J.-S.; Hagos, S. M.

2004-07-01

The influence of heating over Africa on the South American precipitation climatology, and the influence of South America on Africa, is examined through the application of GCM simulations with idealized boundary conditions and perpetual solstice (January and July) conditions.The presence of Africa is associated with a pronounced (up to 4 mm day-1) decrease in precipitation in Brazil's Nordeste region during austral summer. Low-level moisture divergence and dry-air advection associated with the downbranch of a Walker circulation induced by heating over southern Africa is amplified over the Nordeste due to the response of the land surface. The response is much smaller during austral winter due to differences in the heat source over Africa and a reduced sensitivity in the surface heat balance over tropical South America. Forcing from South America in January shifts the position of the South Indian convergence zone (SICZ) to the southwest over southern Africa in association with the formation of the South Atlantic convergence zone (SACZ). In July, a Rossby wave train generated over South America induces a response in the surface temperature of Africa that leads to stronger precipitation in central and western Africa.This study suggests a zonal mode of variability for South American and African circulation and precipitation fields. The resulting perturbations depend as much on land surface atmosphere interactions as on the direct forcing from the adjacent continent, and the mechanisms are highly nonlinear.

Foot-and-mouth Disease Transmission in Africa: Implications for Control, a Review.

PubMed

Tekleghiorghis, T; Moormann, R J M; Weerdmeester, K; Dekker, A

2016-04-01

In Africa, for the control of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), more information is needed on the spread of the disease at local, regional and inter-regional level. The aim of this review is to identify the role that animal husbandry, trade and wildlife have on the transmission of FMD and to provide a scientific basis for different FMD control measures in Africa. Review of literature, published reports and databases shows that there is more long distance spread of FMD virus serotypes within North, West, Central and East Africa than in southern Africa. In North, West, Central and East Africa migratory animal husbandry systems often related with search for grazing and water as well as trade are practiced to a greater extent than in southern Africa. In southern Africa, the role of African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is more extensively studied than in the other parts of Africa, but based on the densities of African buffalo in Central and East Africa, one would assume that buffalo should also play a role in the epidemiology of FMD in this part of Africa. More sampling of buffalo is necessary in West, Central and East Africa. The genetic analysis of virus strains has proven to be valuable to increase our understanding in the spread of FMD in Africa. This review shows that there is a difference in FMD occurrence between southern Africa and the rest of the continent; this distinction is most likely based on differences in animal husbandry and trade systems. Insufficient data on FMD in wildlife outside southern Africa is limiting our understanding on the role wildlife plays in the transmission of FMD in the other buffalo inhabited areas of Africa. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Evaluation of gridding procedures for air temperature over Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eiselt, Kai-Uwe; Kaspar, Frank; Mölg, Thomas; Krähenmann, Stefan; Posada, Rafael; Riede, Jens O.

2017-06-01

Africa is considered to be highly vulnerable to climate change, yet the availability of observational data and derived products is limited. As one element of the SASSCAL initiative (Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management), a cooperation of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, South Africa and Germany, networks of automatic weather stations have been installed or improved (http://www.sasscalweathernet.org). The increased availability of meteorological observations improves the quality of gridded products for the region. Here we compare interpolation methods for monthly minimum and maximum temperatures which were calculated from hourly measurements. Due to a lack of longterm records we focused on data ranging from September 2014 to August 2016. The best interpolation results have been achieved combining multiple linear regression (elevation, a continentality index and latitude as predictors) with three dimensional inverse distance weighted interpolation.

Migration in southern Africa: a comparative perspective.

PubMed

Solomon, H

1994-01-01

Population movement can be described as intra-state, East-West, South-North, and South-South. About 20 million persons globally are considered displaced, of which about 4.1 million are internally displaced persons in South Africa. East-West movement occurred for over 400 million when the Iron Curtain came down. South-North movements of asylum seekers were estimated at 442,000 in 1990. South-South movement amounted to 4 million official refugees in Africa in 1989 and 4.4 million in 1990. African has the largest concentration of refugees. This article does not address the 265,825 contract migrant workers in South Africa. South African migration is the South-South type and can be characterized as "brain-drain" of well-trained professionals in neighboring states and unskilled and illegal migrants from Mozambique and Angola. Movement is pushed or pulled according to sociocultural factors, communications and technology, geographic proximity, precedent, demographic factors, environmental factors, economic factors, and political factors. The effects of migration in South Africa include increased stress on housing, political and social tension, increased costs, overcrowding, transmission of disease, and marginalization of migrants into low status and low paid jobs. For Lesotho migrants in South Africa remittances are a major source of national wealth. South Africa has also experienced racial discord against Mozambicans and Chinese. Political right wing groups mobilize around anti-immigration platforms. Migrants can become policy tools, and many are used in wars of liberation. International attention may focus on mistreatment of refugees. Management can be construed as "carrot" or "stick" approaches. Stick approaches include forced repatriation, limiting immigration, housing in survival-level camps, public campaigns run by host countries in sending countries, or greater control of national borders. South Africa has extensively used stick approaches, which have been only

Delivering Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Development in Southern Africa: Problems and Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maruatona, Tonic L.

2012-01-01

Southern African Development Community (SADC) nations in principle endorse lifelong learning (LLL) as a useful framework for sustainable development. However, in spite of the rhetoric, only a few member states such as South Africa, Botswana and Namibia have officially endorsed LLL in their educational policies. The sub-region is plagued by social…

Language Choice and Education Quality in Eastern and Southern Africa: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trudell, Barbara

2016-01-01

In 2014, UNICEF commissioned a review of language policy and education quality in the 21 countries of UNICEF's Eastern and Southern Africa Region. This paper examines findings from the review, related to the role of English and local languages in current education practice in the region. National language policies and implementation practices are…

Mantle Flow Implications across Easter and Southern Africa from Shear Wave Splitting Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramirez, C.; Nyblade, A.; Bagley, B. C.; Mulibo, G. D.; Tugume, F.; Wysession, M. E.; Wiens, D.; van der Meijde, M.

2015-12-01

In this study, we present new shear wave splitting results from broadband seismic stations in Botswana and Namibia, and combine them with previous results from stations in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Angola to further examine the pattern of seismic anisotropy across southern Africa. The new results come from stations in northern Namibia and Botswana, which help to fill in large gaps in data coverage. Our preliminary results show that fast polarization directions overall trend in a NE orientation. The most noticeable measurements that deviate from this pattern are located around the Archean Tanzania Craton in eastern Africa. The general NE pattern of fast polarization directions is attributed to mantle flow linked to the African superplume. Smaller scale variations from this general direction can be explained by shape anisotropy in the lithosphere in magmatic regions in the East African rift system and to fossil anisotropy in the Precambrian lithosphere.

Fine-Scale Human Population Structure in Southern Africa Reflects Ecogeographic Boundaries

PubMed Central

Uren, Caitlin; Kim, Minju; Martin, Alicia R.; Bobo, Dean; Gignoux, Christopher R.; van Helden, Paul D.; Möller, Marlo; Hoal, Eileen G.; Henn, Brenna M.

2016-01-01

Recent genetic studies have established that the KhoeSan populations of southern Africa are distinct from all other African populations and have remained largely isolated during human prehistory until ∼2000 years ago. Dozens of different KhoeSan groups exist, belonging to three different language families, but very little is known about their population history. We examine new genome-wide polymorphism data and whole mitochondrial genomes for >100 South Africans from the ≠Khomani San and Nama populations of the Northern Cape, analyzed in conjunction with 19 additional southern African populations. Our analyses reveal fine-scale population structure in and around the Kalahari Desert. Surprisingly, this structure does not always correspond to linguistic or subsistence categories as previously suggested, but rather reflects the role of geographic barriers and the ecology of the greater Kalahari Basin. Regardless of subsistence strategy, the indigenous Khoe-speaking Nama pastoralists and the N|u-speaking ≠Khomani (formerly hunter-gatherers) share ancestry with other Khoe-speaking forager populations that form a rim around the Kalahari Desert. We reconstruct earlier migration patterns and estimate that the southern Kalahari populations were among the last to experience gene flow from Bantu speakers, ∼14 generations ago. We conclude that local adoption of pastoralism, at least by the Nama, appears to have been primarily a cultural process with limited genetic impact from eastern Africa. PMID:27474727

Vernonieae (Asteraceae) of southern Africa: A generic disposition of the species and a study of their pollen

PubMed Central

Robinson, Harold; Skvarla, John J.; Funk, Vicki A.

2016-01-01

Abstract Current and previously included members of the Tribe Vernonieae (Asteraceae) of southern Africa are listed in their presently recognized genera with complete synonymies and keys to genera and species. The genus Vernonia, as presently delimited, does not occur in Africa. Genera of the Vernonieae presently recognized from southern Africa are Baccharoides, Bothriocline, Cyanthillium, Distephanus, Erlangea, Ethulia, Gymnanthemum, Hilliardiella, Oocephala, Orbivestus, Parapolydora, Polydora, Vernonella, Vernoniastrum, plus two genera that are named as new: Namibithamnus and Pseudopegolettia. Twelve new combinations are provided and two species, Vernonia potamiphila and Vernonia collinii Klatt., hom. illeg., remain unplaced because of a lack of material. Pollen types are illustrated including previously recognized types: non-lophate, sublophate, tricolporate lophate, and non-colpate triporate lophate. A type previously unknown in the Asteraceae is described here and in a separate paper for Oocephala and Polydora; a non-colpate pantoporate lophate type with pores not strictly equatorial. PMID:27081344

Educating Handicapped Young People in Eastern and Southern Africa in 1981-83.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, D. H.

This publication compiles the findings and conclusions of the 3-year first phase (1980-83) of the Unesco Sub-regional Project for Special Education in Eastern and Southern Africa. It presents the state of the art of special education and prospects for future development in Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, Somalia,…

Greenhouse gas emissions from vegetation fires in Southern Africa.

PubMed

Scholes, R J

1995-01-01

Methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic carbon, and aerosols emitted as a result of the deliberate or accidental burning of natural vegetation constitute a large component of the greenhouse gas emissions of many African countries, but the data needed for calculating these emissions by the IPCC methodology is sparse and subject to estimation errors. An improved procedure for estimating emissions from fires in southern Africa has been developed. The proposed procedure involves reclassifying existing vegetation maps into one of eleven broad, functional vegetation classes. Fuel loads are calculated within each 0.5 × 0.5° cell based on empirical relationships to climate data for each class. The fractional area of each class that burns is estimated by using daily low-resolution satellite fire detection, which is calibrated against a subsample of pre- and post-fire high-resolution satellite images. The emission factors that relate the quantity of gas released to the mass of fuel burned are based on recent field campaigns in Africa and are related to combustion efficiency, which is in turn related to the fuel mix. The emissions are summed over the 1989 fire season for Africa south of the equator. The estimated emissions from vegetation burning in the subcontinent are 0.5 Tg CH4, 14.9 Tg CO, 1.05 Tg NOx, and 1.08 Tg of particles smaller than 2.5µm. The 324 Tg CO2 emitted is expected to be reabsorbed in subsequent years. These estimates are smaller than previous estimates.

Sustaining control: lessons from the Lubombo spatial development initiative in southern Africa.

PubMed

Maharaj, Rajendra; Moonasar, Devanand; Baltazar, Candrinho; Kunene, Simon; Morris, Natashia

2016-08-12

The Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative (LSDI) was a tri-country project between South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique with the aim of accelerating socio-economic development in the region. The malaria component of the project was introduced to decrease the transmission of malaria in the region. This goal was met but with termination of this project resulted in an upsurge of malaria cases in the sub-region mainly as a result of migration from high transmission areas to low transmission ones. The movement of people across borders in southern Africa remains a challenge in sustaining malaria control and elimination. Malaria case data for Swaziland and South Africa were obtained from their respective national Malaria Information Systems. Data for Mozambique was obtained from the Mozambican Ministry of Health. Data obtained during the course of the LSDI project was compared to the case data post the termination of the LSDI. The 12-year period of the LSDI showed a substantial decrease in disease burden amongst the three countries involved when compared to the baseline year of 2000. The decrease in malaria cases was 99 % in South Africa and 98 % in Swaziland. Malaria prevalence in Mozambique decreased by 85 % over the same period. However, after the LSDI ended, between 2012 and 2014, there was an upward trend in case data that was counter to the goal of elimination. South Africa and Swaziland benefitted from the LSDI and were able to sustain malaria control and progress to the stage of elimination. Mozambique could not sustain the gains made during the LSDI and case numbers increased. Technical and financial resources are key challenges for malaria control and elimination interventions.

U.S. Counterterrorism in Sub-Saharan Africa: Understanding Costs, Cultures, and Conflicts

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

counterterrorism in SSA. Vast and diverse, SSA is divided subregionally into East, West, and Southern Africa so as to highlight the different ...divided into East, West, and Southern Africa subregions so as to highlight the different geographies, histories, threats, and perceptions. Section...subregional approach. It divides SSA into East, West, and Southern Africa to highlight the different geogra- phies, histories, threats, and perceptions

Universal Basic Education and the Provision of Quality Mathematics in Southern Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kazima, Mercy

2014-01-01

In this paper, I discuss Universal Basic Education (UBE) in relation to the teaching and learning of mathematics in Southern Africa. I present the status of UBE for all countries in the region and then use 3 selected examples: Botswana, Malawi, and Zambia, to illustrate the provision of mathematics in the general framework of UBE in the countries.…

Why Africa matters: evolution of Old World Salvia (Lamiaceae) in Africa

PubMed Central

Will, Maria; Claßen-Bockhoff, Regine

2014-01-01

Background and Aims Salvia is the largest genus in Lamiaceae and it has recently been found to be non-monophyletic. Molecular data on Old World Salvia are largely lacking. In this study, we present data concerning Salvia in Africa. The focus is on the colonization of the continent, character evolution and the switch of pollination systems in the genus. Methods Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference were used for phylogenetic reconstruction. Analyses were based on two nuclear markers [internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and external transcribed spacer (ETS)] and one plastid marker (rpl32-trnL). Sequence data were generated for 41 of the 62 African taxa (66 %). Mesquite was used to reconstruct ancestral character states for distribution, life form, calyx shape, stamen type and pollination syndrome. Key Results Salvia in Africa is non-monophyletic. Each of the five major regions in Africa, except Madagascar, was colonized at least twice, and floristic links between North African, south-west Asian and European species are strongly supported. The large radiation in Sub-Saharan Africa (23 species) can be traced back to dispersal from North Africa via East Africa to the Cape Region. Adaptation to bird pollination in southern Africa and Madagascar reflects parallel evolution. Conclusions The phenotypic diversity in African Salvia is associated with repeated introductions to the continent. Many important evolutionary processes, such as colonization, adaptation, parallelism and character transformation, are reflected in this comparatively small group. The data presented in this study can help to understand the evolution of Salvia sensu lato and other large genera. PMID:24966353

Evolution of the atmospheric boundary layer in southern West Africa - an overview from the DACCIWA field campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalthoff, Norbert; Lohou, Fabienne; Brooks, Barbara; Jegede, Gbenga; Adler, Bianca; Ajao, Adewale; Ayoola, Muritala; Babić, Karmen; Bessardon, Geoffrey; Delon, Claire; Dione, Cheikh; Handwerker, Jan; Jambert, Corinne; Kohler, Martin; Lothon, Marie; Pedruzo-Bagazgoitia, Xabier; Smith, Victoria; Sunmonu, Lukman; Wieser, Andreas

2017-04-01

In southern West Africa, extended low-level stratus clouds form very frequently during night-time and persist long into the following day influencing the diurnal cycle of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). During the course of the day, a transition from nocturnal low-level stratus to stratocumulus, cumulus, and sometimes congestus and possibly cumulonimbus clouds is observed. In June and July 2016, a ground-based field campaign took place in southern West Africa within the framework of the Dynamics-aerosol-chemistry-cloud interactions in West Africa (DACCIWA) project with the aim to identify the meteorological controls on the stratus and the evolution of the ABL. During the measurement period, extensive remote sensing and in-situ measurements were performed at three supersites in Kumasi (Ghana), Savè (Benin) and Ile-Ife (Nigeria). We give an overview of the atmospheric conditions during the whole measurement period focusing on the vertical and temporal distribution of the stratus and relevant related atmospheric features.

Aircraft-based investigation of Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in Southern West Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flamant, Cyrille

2017-04-01

The EU-funded project DACCIWA (Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in West Africa, http://www.dacciwa.eu) is investigating the relationship between weather, climate and air pollution in southern West Africa. The air over the coastal region of West Africa is a unique mixture of natural and anthropogenic gases, liquids and particles, emitted in an environment, in which multi-layer cloud decks frequently form. These exert a large influence on the local weather and climate, mainly due to their impact on radiation, the surface energy balance and thus the diurnal cycle of the atmospheric boundary layer. The main objective for the aircraft detachment was to build robust statistics of cloud properties in southern West Africa in different chemical landscapes to investigate the physical processes involved in their life cycle in such a complex chemical environment. As part of the DACCIWA field campaigns, three European aircraft (the German DLR Falcon 20, the French SAFIRE ATR 42 and the British BAS Twin Otter) conducted a total of 50 research flights across Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Benin from 27 June to 16 July 2016 for a total of 155 flight hours, including hours sponsored through 3 EUFAR projects. The aircraft were used in different ways based on their strengths, but all three had comparable instrumentation with the the capability to do gas-phase chemistry, aerosol and clouds, thereby generating a rich dataset of atmospheric conditions across the region. Eight types of flight objectives were conducted to achieve the goals of the DACCIWA: (i) Stratus clouds, (ii) Land-sea breeze clouds, (iii) Mid-level clouds, (iv) Biogenic emission, (v) City emissions, (vi) Flaring and ship emissions, (vii) Dust and biomass burning aerosols, and (viii) air-sea interactions. An overview of the DACCIWA aircraft campaign as well as first highlights from the airborne observations will be presented.

Stars and Seasons in Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snedegar, K. V.

Although the indigenous people of Southern Africa traditionally viewed the sky as a place quite apart from the Earth, they believed celestial phenomena to be natural signs united with those of the Earth in a harmonious synchronicity. There is no substantial evidence that the precolonial Africans imagined a casual relationship between celestial bodies and the seasonal patterns of life on Earth. They did, however, recognize a coincidental relationship. The traditional African cosmos, then, worked as a noetic principle unifying the observed motions of celestial bodies, the sequence of seasons, and the behavior of plants and animals. Such a cosmos, with local peculiarities, was widely understood in Southern Africa before the end of the last century. By the early 20th century European colonial paradigms had largely obliterated this African worldview. This paper will offer a partial reconstruction. Pre-colonial South African people viewed time as a sequence of discrete natural events; through annual repetition these events served as a guide for proper human action. The South Africans analyzed the passage of time in terms of the motions of celestial bodies, the maturation of beneficial plants, and the mating patterns of animals. The rightful course of human life was seen to fit within the seasonal context of these natural phenomena. The visibility of conspicuous stars and asterisms marked significant times of year. For instance, the Lovedu people greeted the dawn rising of Canopus with joy: "The boy has come out." The star was a signal for rainmaking and boys' initiation ceremonies to proceed. The Venda constellation Thutlwa, the giraffes, comprises α and β Crucis and α and β Centauri. In October Thutlwa skims the trees of the evening horizon. The Venda Thutlwa literally means 'rising above the trees,' an allusion to the majestic vegetarian creatures and the stars advising the people to be done with their spring planting. This paper will describe stellar associations

Hantaviruses in Africa.

PubMed

Witkowski, Peter T; Klempa, Boris; Ithete, Ndapewa L; Auste, Brita; Mfune, John K E; Hoveka, Julia; Matthee, Sonja; Preiser, Wolfgang; Kruger, Detlev H

2014-07-17

This paper summarizes the progress in the search for hantaviruses and hantavirus infections in Africa. After having collected molecular evidence of an indigenous African hantavirus in 2006, an intensive investigation for new hantaviruses has been started in small mammals. Various novel hantaviruses have been molecularly identified not only in rodents but also in shrews and bats. In addition, the first African hantavirus, Sangassou virus, has been isolated and functionally characterized in cell culture. Less is known about the ability of these hantaviruses to infect humans and to cause diseases. To date, no hantavirus genetic material could be amplified from patients' specimens collected in Africa. Serological studies in West Africa, based on a battery of screening and confirmatory assays, led to the detection of hantavirus antibodies in the human population and in patients with putative hantavirus disease. In addition to this overview, we present original data from seroepidemiological and field studies conducted in the Southern part of Africa. A human seroprevalence rate of 1.0% (n=1442) was detected in the South African Cape Region whereas no molecular evidence for the presence of hantavirus was found in 2500 small animals trapped in South Africa and Namibia. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mantle P wave travel time tomography of Eastern and Southern Africa: New images of mantle upwellings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benoit, M. H.; Li, C.; van der Hilst, R.

2006-12-01

Much of Eastern Africa, including Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, has undergone extensive tectonism, including rifting, uplift, and volcanism during the Cenozoic. The cause of this tectonism is often attributed to the presence of one or more mantle upwellings, including starting thermal plumes and superplumes. Previous regional seismic studies and global tomographic models show conflicting results regarding the spatial and thermal characteristics of these upwellings. Additionally, there are questions concerning the extent to which the Archean and Proterozoic lithosphere has been altered by possible thermal upwellings in the mantle. To further constrain the mantle structure beneath Southern and Eastern Africa and to investigate the origin of the tectonism in Eastern Africa, we present preliminary results of a large-scale P wave travel time tomographic study of the region. We invert travel time measurements from the EHB database with travel time measurements taken from regional PASSCAL datasets including the Ethiopia Broadband Seismic Experiment (2000-2002); Kenya Broadband Seismic Experiment (2000-2002); Southern Africa Seismic Experiment (1997- 1999); Tanzania Broadband Seismic Experiment (1995-1997), and the Saudi Arabia PASSCAL Experiment (1995-1997). The tomographic inversion uses 3-D sensitivity kernels to combine different datasets and is parameterized with an irregular grid so that high spatial resolution can be obtained in areas of dense data coverage. It uses an adaptive least-squares context using the LSQR method with norm and gradient damping.

Assessment of a climate model to reproduce rainfall variability and extremes over Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, C. J. R.; Kniveton, D. R.; Layberry, R.

2010-01-01

It is increasingly accepted that any possible climate change will not only have an influence on mean climate but may also significantly alter climatic variability. A change in the distribution and magnitude of extreme rainfall events (associated with changing variability), such as droughts or flooding, may have a far greater impact on human and natural systems than a changing mean. This issue is of particular importance for environmentally vulnerable regions such as southern Africa. The sub-continent is considered especially vulnerable to and ill-equipped (in terms of adaptation) for extreme events, due to a number of factors including extensive poverty, famine, disease and political instability. Rainfall variability and the identification of rainfall extremes is a function of scale, so high spatial and temporal resolution data are preferred to identify extreme events and accurately predict future variability. The majority of previous climate model verification studies have compared model output with observational data at monthly timescales. In this research, the assessment of ability of a state of the art climate model to simulate climate at daily timescales is carried out using satellite-derived rainfall data from the Microwave Infrared Rainfall Algorithm (MIRA). This dataset covers the period from 1993 to 2002 and the whole of southern Africa at a spatial resolution of 0.1° longitude/latitude. This paper concentrates primarily on the ability of the model to simulate the spatial and temporal patterns of present-day rainfall variability over southern Africa and is not intended to discuss possible future changes in climate as these have been documented elsewhere. Simulations of current climate from the UK Meteorological Office Hadley Centre's climate model, in both regional and global mode, are firstly compared to the MIRA dataset at daily timescales. Secondly, the ability of the model to reproduce daily rainfall extremes is assessed, again by a comparison with

Stable oxygen and carbon isotope characteristics in speleothems from Southern Africa - how good are they?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmgren, K.

2009-04-01

Much remains to be understood about the interaction between the African climate system, its surrounding ocean-atmosphere climate variability and the global climate system. A better understanding of the regional climate evolution is crucial for understanding global climate dynamics and issues surrounding environmental change throughout Africa and a prerequisite for increasing climate forecasting capabilities for the region. As part of developing this understanding, a longer term perspective that reaches beyond the information available from instrumental records is required. Speleothems are frequently abundant in southern Africa. Quite a few records are now available, reporting significant changes in climate and environmental conditions over longer and shorter time scales. Conclusions are mainly based on the stable isotopic composition of the speleothems. The interpretation of the stable isotope data is, however, not always straight-forward, since many processes contribute to the observed signal in the speleothem and these processes may influence the signal differently at different spatial and temporal scales. For example was the Makapansgat speleothem oxygen isotope record, originally interpreted as being generally determined by shifts in atmospheric circulation pattern (Lee-Thorp et al. 2001, Holmgren et al. 2003), recently challenged and re-interpreted by Partin et al. (2008) to reflect annual rainfall amounts. Historically, less attention has been paid to the stable carbon isotope composition in speleothems. Today, an increasing number of studies demonstrate the potential of stable carbon variations as providing additional information on climate and environment. Measured variations can be a function of the amount of C3 versus C4 vegetation, vegetation cover and soil biological activity, bedrock proportion, rainfall amount and the drip rate. Clearly the multitudes of plausible processes behind the isotopic composition of speleothems in southern Africa (as well as

Mongoose rabies in southern Africa: a re-evaluation based on molecular epidemiology.

PubMed

Nel, L H; Sabeta, C T; von Teichman, B; Jaftha, J B; Rupprecht, C E; Bingham, J

2005-05-01

Relative to the developed world, rabies has been poorly studied in the vast African continent. The southern African countries of Zimbabwe and South Africa, however, are known to sustain a great diversity of lyssaviruses, with large biological variations amongst genotype 1 (rabies viruses) at present more apparent here than elsewhere on the continent. One recognized biotype of rabies virus in the subcontinent appears to be specifically adapted to a variety of mongooses, belonging to the Viverrinae subfamily (family Herpestidae) and are commonly referred to as viverrid viruses, although the term mongoose rabies would be more correct, considering the taxonomic status of the host species involved. It was our objective to study the genetic relationships of 77 rabies virus isolates of this mongoose biotype, isolated in South Africa and Zimbabwe, towards elucidation of the molecular epidemiology of this interesting group of African viruses. In our study of a 592 nucleotide sequence encompassing the cytoplasmic domain of the glycoprotein and the G-L intergenic region of the viral genomes, we provide the first comprehensive data on the molecular epidemiology of these viruses and indicate a history of extended evolutionary adaptation in this geographical domain. The molecular epidemiological observations reported here are highly unlikely to be limited to the small geographical areas of South Africa and Zimbabwe and illustrate the need for lyssavirus surveillance in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa and throughout the entire continent.

Unprecedented Fires in Southern Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The fires that raged across southern Africa this August and September produced a thick 'river of smoke' over the region. NASA-supported studies currently underway on the event will contribute to improved air pollution policies in the region and a better understanding of its impact on climate change. This year the southern African fire season peaked in early September. The region is subject to some of the highest levels of biomass burning in the world. The heaviest burning was in western Zambia, southern Angola, northern Namibia, and northern Botswana. Some of the blazes had fire fronts 20 miles long that lasted for days. In this animation, multiple fires are burning across the southern part of the African continent in September 2000. The fires, indicated in red, were observed by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) instrument on board the NOAA-14 satellite. The fires generated large amounts of heat-absorbing aerosols (the dark haze), which were observed with the Earth Probe Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument. These observations were collected as part of a NASA-supported field campaign called SAFARI 2000 (Southern African Regional Science Initiative). The recent six-week 'dry-season' portion of this experiment was planned to coincide with the annual fires. SAFARI 2000 planners tracked the changing location of fires with daily satellite maps provided by researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. 'Every year African biomass burning greatly exceeds the scale of the fires seen this year in the western United States,' says Robert Swap of the University of Virginia, one of the campaign organizers. 'But the southern African fire season we just observed may turn out to be an extreme one even by African standards. It was amazing how quickly this region went up in flames.' The thick haze layer from these fires was heavier than campaign participants had seen in previous field studies in the Amazon Basin and during the Kuwati oil fires

TYPES OF ALBINISM IN THE BLACK SOUTHERN AFRICA POPULATION.

PubMed

Kromberg, J G R; Bothwell, J; Kidson, S H; Manga, P; Kerr, R; Jenkins, T

2012-01-01

Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is the most common inherited disorder in Southern African blacks and several types have been described. Molecular techniques, where available, can be used to confirm a clinical diagnosis and the type of OCA, if necessary, and for prenatal diagnosis. To investigate and classify the different types of albinism commonly found and to determine the clinical implications for each type. A descriptive survey. Gauteng province, South Africa, and Lesotho. Three groups of subjects with OCA (96 from a genetics clinic, 62 from a dermatology clinic, and 31 from community surveys) from the black African population participated. Subjects underwent clinical and/or dermatological examinations and were then classified according to type of OCA. Four forms of OCA were identified: most (82%) subjects had OCA2 (a tyrosinase- positive type) with three sub-types: those without large freckles (ephelides) on exposed areas (named OCA 2a in this study), those with such freckles (named OCA 2b), and those with brown albinism (BOCA); the remainder had red/rufous albinism, ROCA (OCA 3). The four forms could be distinguished from each other clinically without using molecular genetic testing. The most common types of albinism found in the black population of Southern Africa are OCA2 and OCA3. Given the high prevalence of the disorder, together with the high risk of skin cancer, and the recent persecution of affected individuals in certain East African countries, these findings and their clinical implications have significance in terms of both education and awareness for health professionals and lay people caring for those with albinism.

Why Africa matters: evolution of Old World Salvia (Lamiaceae) in Africa.

PubMed

Will, Maria; Claßen-Bockhoff, Regine

2014-07-01

Salvia is the largest genus in Lamiaceae and it has recently been found to be non-monophyletic. Molecular data on Old World Salvia are largely lacking. In this study, we present data concerning Salvia in Africa. The focus is on the colonization of the continent, character evolution and the switch of pollination systems in the genus. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference were used for phylogenetic reconstruction. Analyses were based on two nuclear markers [internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and external transcribed spacer (ETS)] and one plastid marker (rpl32-trnL). Sequence data were generated for 41 of the 62 African taxa (66 %). Mesquite was used to reconstruct ancestral character states for distribution, life form, calyx shape, stamen type and pollination syndrome. Salvia in Africa is non-monophyletic. Each of the five major regions in Africa, except Madagascar, was colonized at least twice, and floristic links between North African, south-west Asian and European species are strongly supported. The large radiation in Sub-Saharan Africa (23 species) can be traced back to dispersal from North Africa via East Africa to the Cape Region. Adaptation to bird pollination in southern Africa and Madagascar reflects parallel evolution. The phenotypic diversity in African Salvia is associated with repeated introductions to the continent. Many important evolutionary processes, such as colonization, adaptation, parallelism and character transformation, are reflected in this comparatively small group. The data presented in this study can help to understand the evolution of Salvia sensu lato and other large genera. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Sensitivity of the atmospheric water cycle to corrections of the sea surface temperature bias over southern Africa in a regional climate model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Torsten; Haensler, Andreas; Jacob, Daniela

2017-12-01

Regional climate models (RCMs) have been used to dynamically downscale global climate projections at high spatial and temporal resolution in order to analyse the atmospheric water cycle. In southern Africa, precipitation pattern were strongly affected by the moisture transport from the southeast Atlantic and southwest Indian Ocean and, consequently, by their sea surface temperatures (SSTs). However, global ocean models often have deficiencies in resolving regional to local scale ocean currents, e.g. in ocean areas offshore the South African continent. By downscaling global climate projections using RCMs, the biased SSTs from the global forcing data were introduced to the RCMs and affected the results of regional climate projections. In this work, the impact of the SST bias correction on precipitation, evaporation and moisture transport were analysed over southern Africa. For this analysis, several experiments were conducted with the regional climate model REMO using corrected and uncorrected SSTs. In these experiments, a global MPI-ESM-LR historical simulation was downscaled with the regional climate model REMO to a high spatial resolution of 50 × 50 km2 and of 25 × 25 km2 for southern Africa using a double-nesting method. The results showed a distinct impact of the corrected SST on the moisture transport, the meridional vertical circulation and on the precipitation pattern in southern Africa. Furthermore, it was found that the experiment with the corrected SST led to a reduction of the wet bias over southern Africa and to a better agreement with observations as without SST bias corrections.

Integrated climate and land change research to improve decision-making and resource management in Southern Africa: The SASSCAL approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helmschrot, J.; Olwoch, J. M.

2017-12-01

The ability of countries in southern Africa to jointly respond to climate challenges with scientifically informed and evidence-based actions and policy decisions remains low due to limited scientific research capacity and infrastructure. The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL; www.sasscal.org) addresses this gap by implementing a high-level framework to guide research and innovation investments in climate change and adaptive land management interventions in Southern Africa. With a strong climate service component as cross-cutting topic, SASSCAL's focus is to improve the understanding of climate and land management change impacts on the natural and socio-economic environment in Southern Africa. The paper presents a variety of SASSCAL driven activities which contribute to better understand climate and long-term environmental change dynamics at various temporal and spatial scales in Southern Afrika and how these activities are linked to support research and decision-making to optimize agricultural practices as well as sustainable environmental and water resources management. To provide consistent and reliable climate information for Southern Africa, SASSCAL offers various climate services ranging from real-time climate observation across the region utilizing the SASSCAL WeatherNet to regional climate change analysis and modelling efforts at seasonal-to-decadal timescales using climate data from various sources. SASSCAL also offers the current state of the environment in terms of recent data on changes in the environment that are necessary for setting appropriate adaptation strategies . The paper will further demonstrate how these services are utilized for interdisciplinary research on the impact of climate change on natural resources and socio-economic development in the SASSCAL countries and how this knowledge can be effectively used to mitigate and adapt to climate change by informed decision-making from

Climate change and maize yield in southern Africa: what can farm management do?

PubMed

Rurinda, Jairos; van Wijk, Mark T; Mapfumo, Paul; Descheemaeker, Katrien; Supit, Iwan; Giller, Ken E

2015-12-01

There is concern that food insecurity will increase in southern Africa due to climate change. We quantified the response of maize yield to projected climate change and to three key management options - planting date, fertilizer use and cultivar choice - using the crop simulation model, agricultural production systems simulator (APSIM), at two contrasting sites in Zimbabwe. Three climate periods up to 2100 were selected to cover both near- and long-term climates. Future climate data under two radiative forcing scenarios were generated from five global circulation models. The temperature is projected to increase significantly in Zimbabwe by 2100 with no significant change in mean annual total rainfall. When planting before mid-December with a high fertilizer rate, the simulated average grain yield for all three maize cultivars declined by 13% for the periods 2010-2039 and 2040-2069 and by 20% for 2070-2099 compared with the baseline climate, under low radiative forcing. Larger declines in yield of up to 32% were predicted for 2070-2099 with high radiative forcing. Despite differences in annual rainfall, similar trends in yield changes were observed for the two sites studied, Hwedza and Makoni. The yield response to delay in planting was nonlinear. Fertilizer increased yield significantly under both baseline and future climates. The response of maize to mineral nitrogen decreased with progressing climate change, implying a decrease in the optimal fertilizer rate in the future. Our results suggest that in the near future, improved crop and soil fertility management will remain important for enhanced maize yield. Towards the end of the 21st century, however, none of the farm management options tested in the study can avoid large yield losses in southern Africa due to climate change. There is a need to transform the current cropping systems of southern Africa to offset the negative impacts of climate change. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Language Policy and Orthographic Harmonization across Linguistic, Ethnic and National Boundaries in Southern Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banda, Felix

2016-01-01

Drawing on online and daily newspapers, speakers' language and writing practices, official government documents and prescribed spelling systems in Southern Africa, the paper explores the challenges and possibilities of orthographic reforms allowing for mobility across language clusters, ethnicity, regional and national borders. I argue that this…

Antiretroviral Therapy and Nutrition in Southern Africa: Citizenship and the Grammar of Hunger.

PubMed

Cousins, Thomas

2016-01-01

How might we understand and respond to the new forms of hunger that arise with the massive rollout of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV in southern Africa? Rather than 'merely' a technical problem of measurement, medicine or infrastructure, I suggest that a philosophical question arises concerning the relationship between the experience of hunger, the utterances that communicate that experience, and the bodily regimes of well-being and ill-being indexed by such utterances. Taking the gut as a particular kind of mediator of experience, I draw on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to open up a set of questions on acknowledgment and avoidance. The central question concerns the divergent concepts of 'grammar' that confront the relationship between hunger and ART.

An overview of the Permian (Karoo) coal deposits of southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cairncross, B.

2001-08-01

The coal deposits of southern Africa (Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) are reviewed. The coal seams formed during two periods, the Early Permian (Artinskian-Kungurian) and the Late Permian (Ufimian-Kazanian). The coals are associated with non-marine terrestrial clastic sedimentary sequences, most commonly mudrock and sandstones, assigned to the Karoo Supergroup. The Early Permian coals are most commonly sandstone-hosted while the younger coals typically occur interbedded with mudstones. The sediments were deposited in varying tectono-sedimentary basins such as foreland, intracratonic rifts and intercratonic grabens and half-grabens. The depositional environments that produced the coal-bearing successions were primarily deltaic and fluvial, with some minor shoreline and lacustrine settings. Coals vary in rank from high-volatile bituminous to anthracite and characteristically have a relatively high inertinite component, and medium- to high-ash content. In countries where coal is mined, it is used for power generation, coking coal, synfuel generation, gasification and for (local) domestic household consumption.

Upper mantle velocity structure beneath southern Africa from modeling regional seismic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Ming; Langston, Charles A.; Nyblade, Andrew A.; Owens, Thomas J.

1999-03-01

The upper mantle seismic velocity structure beneath southern Africa is investigated using travel time and waveform data which come from a large mine tremor in South Africa (mb 5.6) recorded by the Tanzania broadband seismic experiment and by several stations in southern Africa. The waveform data show upper mantle triplications for both the 410- and 670-km discontinuities between distances of 2100 and 3000 km. Auxiliary travel time data along similar profiles obtained from other moderate events are also used. P wave travel times are inverted for velocity structure down to ˜800-km depth using the Wiechert-Herglotz technique, and the resulting model is evaluated by perturbing it at three depth intervals and then testing the perturbed model against the travel time and waveform data. The results indicate a typical upper mantle P wave velocity structure for a shield. P wave velocities from the top of the mantle down to 300-km depth are as much as 3% higher than the global average and are slightly slower than the global average between 300- and 420-km depth. Little evidence is found for a pronounced low-velocity zone in the upper mantle. A high-velocity gradient zone is required above the 410-km discontinuity, but both sharp and smooth 410-km discontinuities are permitted by the data. The 670-km discontinuity is characterized by high-velocity gradients over a depth range of ˜80 km around 660-km depth. Limited S wave travel time data suggest fast S wave velocities above ˜150-km depth. These results suggest that the bouyant support for the African superswell does not reside at shallow depths in the upper mantle.

Applications of the IRI in Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coetzee, P. J.

2004-01-01

The IRI forms the basis of the Single Site Location Direction Finding networks of the South African Defence Force as well as theNational Intelligence Agency. It is also used in "Path Analysis" applications where the possible transmitter coverage is calculated. Another application of the IRI is in HF frequency predictions, especially for the South African Defence Force involved in peace keeping duties in Africa. The IRI is either used independently or in conjunction with vertical ionosondes. In the latter case the scaled F2 peak parameters (foF2, hmF2) are used as inputs to the IRI. The IRI thus gets "calibrated" to extend the area covered by the ionosonde(s). The IRI has proved to be a very important tool in South Africa and Africa in the fight against crime, drug trafficking, political instability and maintaining the peace in potentially unstable countries.

Elephantorrhiza elephantina: Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology of an Important Medicinal Plant Species in Southern Africa

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Elephantorrhiza elephantina is used in southern Africa as traditional remedy for a wide range of human diseases and ailments including dermatological diseases, gastrointestinal system disorders, sexual dysfunction, sexually transmitted infections, and wounds. The rhizome decoction of E. elephantina is widely used by small-scale farmers in Botswana and South Africa as ethnoveterinary medicine for cattle, goats, horses, pigs, poultry, and sheep. Several classes of phytochemical compounds including anthocyanidins, anthraquinones, esters, fatty acids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, glycosides, polysterols, saponins, sugars, tannins, and triterpenoids have been isolated from E. elephantina. Scientific studies on E. elephantina indicate that it has a wide range of biological activities including anthelmintic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive, antiplasmodial, antioxidant, antibabesial, and antirickettsial activities. Elephantorrhiza elephantina is a valuable source of traditional medicine in southern Africa that it is worth additional research attention because of its wide ethnomedicinal applications and promising biological activities. However, the current health-related information on E. elephantina is not sufficiently explored as diverse studies on its chemical and pharmacological activities are required to understand its mechanism of action and to characterize the metabolites responsible for these activities. PMID:28588639

Teacher Migration Impact: A Review in the Context of Quality Education Provision and Teacher Training in Higher Education in Southern Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, B.

2008-01-01

Teacher mobility has become a common feature of the cross-border flows and transnational networks that constitute globalisation. International and intraregional migration of teachers is an important factor in education provision and management in countries in the Southern Africa region, for example Botswana and South Africa. In an increasingly…

Multi-scale investigation of shrub encroachment in southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aplin, Paul; Marston, Christopher; Wilkinson, David; Field, Richard; O'Regan, Hannah

2016-04-01

There is growing speculation that savannah environments throughout Africa have been subject to shrub encroachment in recent years, whereby grassland is lost to woody vegetation cover. Changes in the relative proportions of grassland and woodland are important in the context of conservation of savannah systems, with implications for faunal distributions, environmental management and tourism. Here, we focus on southern Kruger National Park, South Africa, and investigate whether or not shrub encroachment has occurred over the last decade and a half. We use a multi-scale approach, examining the complementarity of medium (e.g. Landsat TM and OLI) and fine (e.g. QuickBird and WorldView-2) spatial resolution satellite sensor imagery, supported by intensive field survey in 2002 and 2014. We employ semi-automated land cover classification, involving a hybrid unsupervised clustering approach with manual class grouping and checking, followed by change detection post-classification comparison analysis. The results show that shrub encroachment is indeed occurring, a finding evidenced through three fine resolution replicate images plus medium resolution imagery. The results also demonstrate the complementarity of medium and fine resolution imagery, though some thematic information must be sacrificed to maintain high medium resolution classification accuracy. Finally, the findings have broader implications for issues such as vegetation seasonality, spatial transferability and management practices.

Of Drama, Dreams and Desire: Creative Approaches to Applied Sex Education in Southern Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casale, Marisa; Hanass-Hancock, Jill

2011-01-01

In the midst of a generalised HIV and AIDS epidemic in southern Africa, the argument for more coordinated and comprehensive youth sexual health interventions is intensifying. Yet the crucial question of "how best" to provide young people with these skills and knowledge remains a key challenge for policy-makers, researchers and…

Making the invisible visible: a systematic review of sexual minority women's health in Southern Africa.

PubMed

Muller, Alexandra; Hughes, Tonda L

2016-04-11

Over the past two decades research on sexual and gender minority (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender; LGBT) health has highlighted substantial health disparities based on sexual orientation and gender identity in many parts of the world. We systematically reviewed the literature on sexual minority women's (SMW) health in Southern Africa, with the objective of identifying existing evidence and pointing out knowledge gaps around the health of this vulnerable group in this region. A systematic review of publications in English, French, Portuguese or German, indexed in PubMed or MEDLINE between the years 2000 and 2015, following PRISMA guidelines. Additional studies were identified by searching bibliographies of identified studies. Search terms included (Lesbian OR bisexual OR "women who have sex with women"), (HIV OR depression OR "substance use" OR "substance abuse" OR "mental health" OR suicide OR anxiety OR cancer), and geographical specification. All empirical studies that used quantitative or qualitative methods, which contributed to evidence for SMW's health in one, a few or all of the countries, were included. Theoretical and review articles were excluded. Data were extracted independently by 2 researchers using predefined data fields, which included a risk of bias/quality assessment. Of 315 hits, 9 articles were selected for review and a further 6 were identified through bibliography searches. Most studies were conducted with small sample sizes in South Africa and focused on sexual health. SMW included in the studies were racially and socio-economically heterogeneous. Studies focused predominately on young populations, and highlighted substance use and violence as key health issues for SMW in Southern Africa. Although there are large gaps in the literature, the review highlighted substantial sexual-orientation-related health disparities among women in Southern Africa. The findings have important implications for public health policy and research

Agricultural nematology in East and Southern Africa: problems, management strategies and stakeholder linkages.

PubMed

Talwana, Herbert; Sibanda, Zibusiso; Wanjohi, Waceke; Kimenju, Wangai; Luambano-Nyoni, Nessie; Massawe, Cornel; Manzanilla-López, Rosa H; Davies, Keith G; Hunt, David J; Sikora, Richard A; Coyne, Danny L; Gowen, Simon R; Kerry, Brian R

2016-02-01

By 2050, Africa's population is projected to exceed 2 billion. Africa will have to increase food production more than 50% in the coming 50 years to meet the nutritional requirements of its growing population. Nowhere is the need to increase agricultural productivity more pertinent than in much of Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is currently static or declining. Optimal pest management will be essential, because intensification of any system creates heightened selection pressures for pests. Plant-parasitic nematodes and their damage potential are intertwined with intensified systems and can be an indicator of unsustainable practices. As soil pests, nematodes are commonly overlooked or misdiagnosed, particularly where appropriate expertise and knowledge transfer systems are meager or inadequately funded. Nematode damage to roots results in less efficient root systems that are less able to access nutrients and water, which can produce symptoms typical of water or nutrient deficiency, leading to misdiagnosis of the underlying cause. Damage in subsistence agriculture is exacerbated by growing crops on degraded soils and in areas of low water retention where strong root growth is vital. This review focuses on the current knowledge of economically important nematode pests affecting key crops, nematode control methods and the research and development needs for sustainable management, stakeholder involvement and capacity building in the context of crop security in East and Southern Africa, especially Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Rapid population growth. Effects on the social infrastructures of southern Africa.

PubMed

Smith, J D

1995-01-01

Southern Africa's high rate of population growth and widespread poverty have serious implications for the region's social infrastructure. Large increases in the school-age population have undermined efforts to improve the quality of education since all resources are directed toward expansion of availability. To achieve a teacher-pupil ratio of 1:40 at the primary level and 1:35 at the secondary level, an estimated additional 50,000 classrooms would be required. Also jeopardized by high fertility is access to health services, safe water, and sanitation. In Mozambique, for example, where only 30% of the population has access to health services, the under-five years mortality rate is 297/1000 live births and the physician-population ratio is 1:37,970. Substandard housing, homelessness, congestion, deteriorating public services, pollution, and crime dominate urban areas. The single most effective intervention to reduce population growth in Southern Africa is female education. Women without a secondary education bear an average of seven children; if 40% of women attend secondary school, this drops to three children. Thus, governments must make gender equality a central focus of development planning and ensure that women are participants in this process. Property and inheritance laws that serve to increase the economic need for early marriage should be eliminated. Public health programs, including family planning, must be expanded. Finally, women's organizations should be strengthened and urged to foster female empowerment.

Coexisting shortening and extension along the "Africa-Eurasia" plate boundary in southern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuffaro, M.; Riguzzi, F.; Scrocca, D.; Doglioni, C.

2009-04-01

We performed geodetic strain rate field analyses along the "Africa (Sicily microplate)"-"Eurasia (Tyrrhenian microplate)" plate boundary in Sicily (southern Italy), using new GPS velocities from a data set spanning maximum ten years (1998-2007). Data from GPS permanent stations maintained from different institutions and the recent RING network, settled in Italy in the last five years by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, were included into the analysis. Two dimensional strain and rotation rate fields were estimated by the distance weighted approach on a regularly spaced grid (30*30km), estimating the strain using all stations, but data from each station are weighted by their distance from the grid node by a constant a=70km that specifies how the effect of a station decays with distance from the node grid interpolation. Results show that most of the shortening of the Africa-Eurasia relative motion is distributed in the northwestern side offshore Sicily, whereas the extension becomes comparable with shortening on the western border of the Capo d'Orlando basin, and grater in the northeastern side, offshore Sicily, as directly provided by GPS velocities which show a larger E-ward component of sites located in Calabria with respect to those located either in northern Sicily or in the Ustica-Aeolian islands. Moreover, where shortening and extension have mostly a similar order of magnitude, two rotation rate fields can be detected, CCW in the northwestern side of Sicily, and CW in the northeastern one respectively. Also, 2-D dilatation field records a similar pattern, with negative values (shortening) in the northwestern area of Sicily close to the Ustica island, and positive values (extension) in the northeastern and southeastern ones, respectively. Principal shortening and extension rate axes are consistent with long-term geological features: seismic reflection profiles acquired in the southern Tyrrhenian seismogenic belt show active extensional faults

The production of consumption: addressing the impact of mineral mining on tuberculosis in southern Africa

PubMed Central

Basu, Sanjay; Stuckler, David; Gonsalves, Gregg; Lurie, Mark

2009-01-01

Background Miners in southern Africa experience incident rates of tuberculosis up to ten times greater than the general population. Migration to and from mines may be amplifying tuberculosis epidemics in the general population. Discussion Migration to and from mineral mines contributes to HIV risks and associated tuberculosis incidence. Health and safety conditions within mines also promote the risk of silicosis (a tuberculosis risk factor) and transmission of tuberculosis bacilli in close quarters. In the context of migration, current tuberculosis prevention and treatment strategies often fail to provide sufficient continuity of care to ensure appropriate tuberculosis detection and treatment. Reports from Lesotho and South Africa suggest that miners pose transmission risks to other household or community members as they travel home undetected or inadequately treated, particularly with drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis. Reducing risky exposures on the mines, enhancing the continuity of primary care services, and improving the enforcement of occupational health codes may mitigate the harmful association between mineral mining activities and tuberculosis incidence among affected communities. Summary Tuberculosis incidence appears to be amplified by mineral mining operations in southern Africa. A number of immediately-available measures to improve continuity of care for miners, change recruitment and compensation practices, and reduce the primary risk of infection may critically mitigate the negative association between mineral mining and tuberculosis. PMID:19785769

Rainfall variability over southern Africa: an overview of current research using satellite and climate model data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, C.; Kniveton, D.; Layberry, R.

2009-04-01

It is increasingly accepted that any possible climate change will not only have an influence on mean climate but may also significantly alter climatic variability. A change in the distribution and magnitude of extreme rainfall events (associated with changing variability), such as droughts or flooding, may have a far greater impact on human and natural systems than a changing mean. This issue is of particular importance for environmentally vulnerable regions such as southern Africa. The subcontinent is considered especially vulnerable to and ill-equipped (in terms of adaptation) for extreme events, due to a number of factors including extensive poverty, famine, disease and political instability. Rainfall variability is a function of scale, so high spatial and temporal resolution data are preferred to identify extreme events and accurately predict future variability. In this research, satellite-derived rainfall data are used as a basis for undertaking model experiments using a state-of-the-art climate model, run at both high and low spatial resolution. Once the model's ability to reproduce extremes has been assessed, idealised regions of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies are used to force the model, with the overall aim of investigating the ways in which SST anomalies influence rainfall extremes over southern Africa. In this paper, a brief overview is given of the authors' research to date, pertaining to southern African rainfall. This covers (i) a description of present-day rainfall variability over southern Africa; (ii) a comparison of model simulated daily rainfall with the satellite-derived dataset; (iii) results from sensitivity testing of the model's domain size; and (iv) results from the idealised SST experiments.

The Evils of Urbanization on South Africa: A Literary Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banks, Dennis N.

1994-01-01

Maintains that, with the recent elections in South Africa, interest in the study of southern Africa has increased. Compares and contrasts the images of South Africa presented in the novels of Alan Paton and Peter Abrahams. Asserts that the pictures painted by these authors are not pleasant but are necessary to understand recent events. (CFR)

Balancing livestock production and wildlife conservation in and around southern Africa's transfrontier conservation areas.

PubMed

Thomson, G R; Penrith, M-L; Atkinson, M W; Atkinson, S J; Cassidy, D; Osofsky, S A

2013-12-01

Biodiversity conservation, of which the transfrontier conservation area movement is an integral part, and more effective livestock production/trade are pivotal to future rural development in southern Africa. For that reason, it is imperative to effectively ameliorate the obstacles that have impeded progress towards the coexistence of these two sectors for more than half a century. Transboundary animal diseases, foot and mouth disease in particular, have been and continue to be the most important of these obstacles. Fortunately, new developments in international sanitary standards applicable to trade in commodities and products derived from animals are beginning to make a solution possible. However, while progress in principle has been achieved, practical implementation remains problematic for technical reasons, exacerbated by inconsistent attitudes towards acceptance of non-traditional international trade standards. This paper describes the background to this situation, progress that has been achieved in the recent past and remaining difficulties that need to be overcome to advance towards achievement of balanced rural development in southern Africa. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

El Niño and the shifting geography of cholera in Africa.

PubMed

Moore, Sean M; Azman, Andrew S; Zaitchik, Benjamin F; Mintz, Eric D; Brunkard, Joan; Legros, Dominique; Hill, Alexandra; McKay, Heather; Luquero, Francisco J; Olson, David; Lessler, Justin

2017-04-25

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and other climate patterns can have profound impacts on the occurrence of infectious diseases ranging from dengue to cholera. In Africa, El Niño conditions are associated with increased rainfall in East Africa and decreased rainfall in southern Africa, West Africa, and parts of the Sahel. Because of the key role of water supplies in cholera transmission, a relationship between El Niño events and cholera incidence is highly plausible, and previous research has shown a link between ENSO patterns and cholera in Bangladesh. However, there is little systematic evidence for this link in Africa. Using high-resolution mapping techniques, we find that the annual geographic distribution of cholera in Africa from 2000 to 2014 changes dramatically, with the burden shifting to continental East Africa-and away from Madagascar and portions of southern, Central, and West Africa-where almost 50,000 additional cases occur during El Niño years. Cholera incidence during El Niño years was higher in regions of East Africa with increased rainfall, but incidence was also higher in some areas with decreased rainfall, suggesting a complex relationship between rainfall and cholera incidence. Here, we show clear evidence for a shift in the distribution of cholera incidence throughout Africa in El Niño years, likely mediated by El Niño's impact on local climatic factors. Knowledge of this relationship between cholera and climate patterns coupled with ENSO forecasting could be used to notify countries in Africa when they are likely to see a major shift in their cholera risk.

Measles resurgence in southern Africa: challenges to measles elimination.

PubMed

Shibeshi, Messeret E; Masresha, Balcha G; Smit, Sheilagh B; Biellik, Robin J; Nicholson, Jennifer L; Muitherero, Charles; Shivute, Nestor; Walker, Oladapo; Reggis, Katsande; Goodson, James L

2014-04-01

In seven southern African countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe), following implementation of a measles mortality reduction strategy starting in 1996, the number of annually reported measles cases decreased sharply to less than one per million population during 2006-2008. However, during 2009-2010, large outbreaks occurred in these countries. In 2011, a goal for measles elimination by 2020 was set in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region (AFR). We reviewed the implementation of the measles control strategy and measles epidemiology during the resurgence in the seven southern African countries. Estimated coverage with routine measles vaccination, supplemental immunization activities (SIA), annually reported measles cases by country, and measles surveillance and laboratory data were analyzed using descriptive analysis. In the seven countries, coverage with the routine first dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) decreased from 80% to 65% during 1996-2004, then increased to 84% in 2011; during 1996-2011, 79,696,523 people were reached with measles vaccination during 45 SIAs. Annually reported measles cases decreased from 61,160 cases to 60 cases and measles incidence decreased to <1 case per million during 1996-2008. During 2009-2010, large outbreaks that included cases among older children and adults were reported in all seven countries, starting in South Africa and Namibia in mid-2009 and in the other five countries by early 2010. The measles virus genotype detected was predominantly genotype B3. The measles resurgence highlighted challenges to achieving measles elimination in AFR by 2020. To achieve this goal, high two-dose measles vaccine coverage by strengthening routine immunization systems and conducting timely SIAs targeting expanded age groups, potentially including young adults, and maintaining outbreak preparedness to rapidly respond to outbreaks will be needed. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The evolutionary dynamics of canid and mongoose rabies virus in Southern Africa.

PubMed

Davis, P L; Rambaut, A; Bourhy, H; Holmes, E C

2007-01-01

Two variants of rabies virus (RABV) currently circulate in southern Africa: canid RABV, mainly associated with dogs, jackals, and bat-eared foxes, and mongoose RABV. To investigate the evolutionary dynamics of these variants, we performed coalescent-based analyses of the G-L inter-genic region, allowing for rate variation among viral lineages through the use of a relaxed molecular clock. This revealed that mongoose RABV is evolving more slowly than canid RABV, with mean evolutionary rates of 0.826 and 1.676 x 10(-3) nucleotide substitutions per site, per year, respectively. Additionally, mongoose RABV exhibits older genetic diversity than canid RABV, with common ancestors dating to 73 and 30 years, respectively, and while mongoose RABV has experienced exponential population growth over its evolutionary history in Africa, populations of canid RABV have maintained a constant size. Hence, despite circulating in the same geographic region, these two variants of RABV exhibit striking differences in evolutionary dynamics which are likely to reflect differences in their underlying ecology.

Implications for Lithospheric Reheating beneath the African Superswell from P nl Wave Propagation in Central and Southern Africa,

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-08-14

characterized by a lid structure with a constant velocity. There appears to be little evidence for (1) mantle velocity gradients beneath southern Africa that...therefore conclude that there is little evidence for (1) a mantle lid beneath central Africa containing a positive velocity gradient or (2).a low velocity... Fucks , M.A. Khan, P.K.H. Maguire, W.D. Mooney, U. Achauer, P.M. Davis, R.P. Meyer, L.W. Braile, 1.0. Nyambok, and G.A. Thompson, The East African rift

Life on the rocks: Multilocus phylogeography of rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) from southern Africa.

PubMed

Maswanganye, K Amanda; Cunningham, Michael J; Bennett, Nigel C; Chimimba, Christian T; Bloomer, Paulette

2017-09-01

Understanding the role of geography and climatic cycles in determining patterns of biodiversity is important in comparative and evolutionary biology and conservation. We studied the phylogeographic pattern and historical demography of a rock-dwelling small mammal species from southern Africa, the rock hyrax Procavia capensis capensis. Using a multilocus coalescent approach, we assessed the influence of strong habitat dependence and fluctuating regional climates on genetic diversity. We sequenced a mitochondrial gene (cytochrome b) and two nuclear introns (AP5, PRKC1) supplemented with microsatellite genotyping, in order to assess evolutionary processes over multiple temporal scales. In addition, distribution modelling was used to investigate the current and predicted distribution of the species under different climatic scenarios. Collectively, the data reveal a complex history of isolation followed by secondary contact shaping the current intraspecific diversity. The cyt b sequences confirmed the presence of two previously proposed geographically and genetically distinct lineages distributed across the southern African Great Escarpment and north-western mountain ranges. Molecular dating suggests Miocene divergence of the lineages, yet there are no discernible extrinsic barriers to gene flow. The nuclear markers reveal incomplete lineage sorting or ongoing mixing of the two lineages. Although the microsatellite data lend some support to the presence of two subpopulations, there is weak structuring within and between lineages. These data indicate the presence of gene flow from the northern into the southern parts of the southern African sub-region likely following the secondary contact. The distribution modelling predictably reveal the species' preference for rocky areas, with stable refugia through time in the northern mountain ranges, the Great Escarpment, as well as restricted areas of the Northern Cape Province and the Cape Fold Mountains of South Africa

Using Tournament Angler Data to Rapidly Assess the Invasion Status of Alien Sport Fishes (Micropterus spp.) in Southern Africa.

PubMed

Hargrove, John S; Weyl, Olaf L F; Allen, Micheal S; Deacon, Neil R

2015-01-01

Fishes are one of the most commonly introduced aquatic taxa worldwide, and invasive fish species pose threats to biodiversity and ecosystem function in recipient waters. Considerable research efforts have focused on predicting the invasibility of different fish taxa; however, accurate records detailing the establishment and spread of invasive fishes are lacking for large numbers of fish around the globe. In response to these data limitations, a low-cost method of cataloging and quantifying the temporal and spatial status of fish invasions was explored. Specifically, angler catch data derived from competitive bass angling tournaments was used to document the distribution of 66 non-native populations of black bass (Micropterus spp.) in southern Africa. Additionally, catch data from standardized tournament events were used to assess the abundance and growth of non-native bass populations in southern Africa relative to their native distribution (southern and eastern United States). Differences in metrics of catch per unit effort (average number of fish retained per angler per day), daily bag weights (the average weight of fish retained per angler), and average fish weight were assessed using catch data from 14,890 angler days of tournament fishing (11,045 days from South Africa and Zimbabwe; 3,845 days from the United States). No significant differences were found between catch rates, average daily bag weight, or the average fish weight between countries, suggesting that bass populations in southern Africa reach comparable sizes and numbers relative to waters in their native distribution. Given the minimal cost associated with data collection (i.e. records are collected by tournament organizers), the standardized nature of the events, and consistent bias (i.e. selection for the biggest fish in a population), the use of angler catch data represents a novel approach to infer the status and distribution of invasive sport fish.

Using Tournament Angler Data to Rapidly Assess the Invasion Status of Alien Sport Fishes (Micropterus spp.) in Southern Africa

PubMed Central

Hargrove, John S.; Weyl, Olaf L. F.; Allen, Micheal S.; Deacon, Neil R.

2015-01-01

Fishes are one of the most commonly introduced aquatic taxa worldwide, and invasive fish species pose threats to biodiversity and ecosystem function in recipient waters. Considerable research efforts have focused on predicting the invasibility of different fish taxa; however, accurate records detailing the establishment and spread of invasive fishes are lacking for large numbers of fish around the globe. In response to these data limitations, a low-cost method of cataloging and quantifying the temporal and spatial status of fish invasions was explored. Specifically, angler catch data derived from competitive bass angling tournaments was used to document the distribution of 66 non-native populations of black bass (Micropterus spp.) in southern Africa. Additionally, catch data from standardized tournament events were used to assess the abundance and growth of non-native bass populations in southern Africa relative to their native distribution (southern and eastern United States). Differences in metrics of catch per unit effort (average number of fish retained per angler per day), daily bag weights (the average weight of fish retained per angler), and average fish weight were assessed using catch data from 14,890 angler days of tournament fishing (11,045 days from South Africa and Zimbabwe; 3,845 days from the United States). No significant differences were found between catch rates, average daily bag weight, or the average fish weight between countries, suggesting that bass populations in southern Africa reach comparable sizes and numbers relative to waters in their native distribution. Given the minimal cost associated with data collection (i.e. records are collected by tournament organizers), the standardized nature of the events, and consistent bias (i.e. selection for the biggest fish in a population), the use of angler catch data represents a novel approach to infer the status and distribution of invasive sport fish. PMID:26047487

Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage in South Africa: The Development of Relevant Management Strategies in the Historical Maritime Context of the Southern Tip of Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharfman, Jonathan; Boshoff, Jaco; Parthesius, Robert

2012-10-01

South Africans have a long association with water. It has provided a source of food, a medium for trade and a catalyst for migration and development. The country's geographical position as a crossroads of maritime trade between Europe and the East means that its history is inextricably linked to the history of the rest of the world. The result is a multi-faceted representation of sites, objects and mythologies related to water and maritime heritage that reflect not only local historical and social development, but global cultural change as well. Given the importance of South Africa's underwater cultural heritage (UCH), managers have grappled with management principles, ethics and theoretical models in an effort to produce and enforce heritage legislation that is relevant and effective. This paper outlines South Africa's maritime context from 1.5 million years ago until the present, summarises legislative and mitigation developments over the past half century and provides details of current trends in maritime archaeology and UCH management at the southern tip of Africa. Training programmes and public awareness are keys to this strategy to bring UCH and maritime archaeology into the mainstream and counter treasure hunting and looting of this rich, friable resource.

Assessing existing drought monitoring and forecasting capacities, mitigation and adaptation practices in Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyabeze, W. R.; Dlamini, L.; Lahlou, O.; Imani, Y.; Alaoui, S. B.; Vermooten, J. S. A.

2012-04-01

Drought is one of the major natural hazards in many parts of the world, including Africa and some regions in Europe. Drought events have resulted in extensive damages to livelihoods, environment and economy. In 2011, a consortium consisting of 19 organisations from both Africa and Europe started a project (DEWFORA) aimed at developing a framework for the provision of early warning and response through drought impact mitigation for Africa. This framework covers the whole chain from monitoring and vulnerability assessment to forecasting, warning, response and knowledge dissemination. This paper presents the first results of the capacity assessment of drought monitoring and forecasting systems in Africa, the existing institutional frameworks and drought mitigation and adaptation practices. Its focus is particularly on the historical drought mitigation and adaptation actions identified in the North Africa - Maghreb Region (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) and in the Southern Africa - Limpopo Basin. This is based on an extensive review of historical drought experiences. From the 1920's to 2009, the study identified 37 drought seasons in the North African - Maghreb Region and 33 drought seasons in the Southern Africa - Limpopo Basin. Existing literature tends to capture the spatial extent of drought at national and administrative scale in great detail. This is driven by the need to map drought impacts (food shortage, communities affected) in order to inform drought relief efforts (short-term drought mitigation measures). However, the mapping of drought at catchment scale (hydrological unit), required for longer-term measures, is not well documented. At regional level, both in North Africa and Southern Africa, two organisations are involved in drought monitoring and forecasting, while at national level 22 organisations are involved in North Africa and 37 in Southern Africa. Regarding drought related mitigation actions, the inventory shows that the most common actions

Phylogeographic Patterns in Africa and High Resolution Delineation of Genetic Clades in the Lion (Panthera leo)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertola, L. D.; Jongbloed, H.; van der Gaag, K. J.; de Knijff, P.; Yamaguchi, N.; Hooghiemstra, H.; Bauer, H.; Henschel, P.; White, P. A.; Driscoll, C. A.; Tende, T.; Ottosson, U.; Saidu, Y.; Vrieling, K.; de Iongh, H. H.

2016-08-01

Comparative phylogeography of African savannah mammals shows a congruent pattern in which populations in West/Central Africa are distinct from populations in East/Southern Africa. However, for the lion, all African populations are currently classified as a single subspecies (Panthera leo leo), while the only remaining population in Asia is considered to be distinct (Panthera leo persica). This distinction is disputed both by morphological and genetic data. In this study we introduce the lion as a model for African phylogeography. Analyses of mtDNA sequences reveal six supported clades and a strongly supported ancestral dichotomy with northern populations (West Africa, Central Africa, North Africa/Asia) on one branch, and southern populations (North East Africa, East/Southern Africa and South West Africa) on the other. We review taxonomies and phylogenies of other large savannah mammals, illustrating that similar clades are found in other species. The described phylogeographic pattern is considered in relation to large scale environmental changes in Africa over the past 300,000 years, attributable to climate. Refugial areas, predicted by climate envelope models, further confirm the observed pattern. We support the revision of current lion taxonomy, as recognition of a northern and a southern subspecies is more parsimonious with the evolutionary history of the lion.

Phylogeographic Patterns in Africa and High Resolution Delineation of Genetic Clades in the Lion (Panthera leo).

PubMed

Bertola, L D; Jongbloed, H; van der Gaag, K J; de Knijff, P; Yamaguchi, N; Hooghiemstra, H; Bauer, H; Henschel, P; White, P A; Driscoll, C A; Tende, T; Ottosson, U; Saidu, Y; Vrieling, K; de Iongh, H H

2016-08-04

Comparative phylogeography of African savannah mammals shows a congruent pattern in which populations in West/Central Africa are distinct from populations in East/Southern Africa. However, for the lion, all African populations are currently classified as a single subspecies (Panthera leo leo), while the only remaining population in Asia is considered to be distinct (Panthera leo persica). This distinction is disputed both by morphological and genetic data. In this study we introduce the lion as a model for African phylogeography. Analyses of mtDNA sequences reveal six supported clades and a strongly supported ancestral dichotomy with northern populations (West Africa, Central Africa, North Africa/Asia) on one branch, and southern populations (North East Africa, East/Southern Africa and South West Africa) on the other. We review taxonomies and phylogenies of other large savannah mammals, illustrating that similar clades are found in other species. The described phylogeographic pattern is considered in relation to large scale environmental changes in Africa over the past 300,000 years, attributable to climate. Refugial areas, predicted by climate envelope models, further confirm the observed pattern. We support the revision of current lion taxonomy, as recognition of a northern and a southern subspecies is more parsimonious with the evolutionary history of the lion.

Phylogeographic Patterns in Africa and High Resolution Delineation of Genetic Clades in the Lion (Panthera leo)

PubMed Central

Bertola, L. D.; Jongbloed, H.; van der Gaag, K. J.; de Knijff, P.; Yamaguchi, N.; Hooghiemstra, H.; Bauer, H.; Henschel, P.; White, P. A.; Driscoll, C. A.; Tende, T.; Ottosson, U.; Saidu, Y.; Vrieling, K.; de Iongh, H. H.

2016-01-01

Comparative phylogeography of African savannah mammals shows a congruent pattern in which populations in West/Central Africa are distinct from populations in East/Southern Africa. However, for the lion, all African populations are currently classified as a single subspecies (Panthera leo leo), while the only remaining population in Asia is considered to be distinct (Panthera leo persica). This distinction is disputed both by morphological and genetic data. In this study we introduce the lion as a model for African phylogeography. Analyses of mtDNA sequences reveal six supported clades and a strongly supported ancestral dichotomy with northern populations (West Africa, Central Africa, North Africa/Asia) on one branch, and southern populations (North East Africa, East/Southern Africa and South West Africa) on the other. We review taxonomies and phylogenies of other large savannah mammals, illustrating that similar clades are found in other species. The described phylogeographic pattern is considered in relation to large scale environmental changes in Africa over the past 300,000 years, attributable to climate. Refugial areas, predicted by climate envelope models, further confirm the observed pattern. We support the revision of current lion taxonomy, as recognition of a northern and a southern subspecies is more parsimonious with the evolutionary history of the lion. PMID:27488946

The YES Africa 2011 Symposium: A Key to Developing the Future Geoscience Workforce in Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nkhonjera, E.

2011-12-01

Africa is facing serious challenges in geoscience education. This has been as a result of absence of or very young/small Earth Science Departments in some universities (e.g., Mauritius, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Malawi): Limited capacity (staff and equipment needed for practicals) to cope with the growing number of students, compounded by brain drain of academic staffs and the fact that current tertiary programmes do not seem to produce graduates suitable for the industry are some of the contributing factors to the challenges, (UNESCO-AEON Report, 2009). As such Earth Science studies in Africa have been one of the career paths that has not been promoted or highly preferred by many students. In January 2011, the YES Network African chapter was launched through the YES Africa 2011 Symposium that took place at the University of Johannesburg South Africa in Conjunction with the 23rd Colloquium of Africa Geology from the 08-14th January 2011. The YES Africa 2011 Symposium was organized by five YES African National networks from Southern, Central, Eastern and Northern Africa to bring young geoscientists from all regions of Africa together to present their research about African geoscience topics. The symposium also included roundtable discussions about increasing the involvement of youth's participation in geoscience issues in Africa, about how to increase the number of youths in African geosciences education university programs, and about how to promote geoscience careers to university students in Africa c. Roundtable discussions revealed that many African colleges and universities do not provide adequate infrastructure and resources to support the students studying in the department. As such, most students graduate with poor preparation for geoscience careers, having gained a theoretical understanding of geology, but not the practical application of the discipline. The recommendations from the YES Africa 2011 Symposium also highlighted on the best ways of

A review of the stratigraphy and sedimentary environments of the Karoo-aged basins of Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, R. M. H.; Eriksson, P. G.; Botha, W. J.

1993-02-01

The Karoo Basin of South Africa was one of several contemporaneous intracratonic basins in southwestern Gondwana that became active in the Permo-Carboniferous (280 Ma) and continued to accumulate sediments until the earliest Jurassic, 100 million years later. At their maximum areal extent, during the early Permian, these basins covered some 4.5 million km 2. The present outcrop area of Karoo rocks in southern Africa is about 300 000 km 2 with a maximum thickness of some 8000 m. The economic importance of these sediments lies in the vast reserves of coal within the Ecca Group rocks of northern and eastern Transvaal and Natal, South Africa. Large reserves of sandstone-hosted uranium and molybdenum have been proven within the Beaufort Group rocks of the southern Karoo trough, although they are not mineable in the present market conditions. Palaeoenvironmental analysis of the major stratigraphic units of the Karoo succession in South Africa demonstrates the changes in depositional style caused by regional and localized tectonism within the basin. These depocentres were influenced by a progressive aridification of climate which was primarily caused by the northward drift of southwestern Gondwana out of a polar climate and accentuated by the meteoric drying effect of the surrounding land masses. Changing palaeoenvironments clearly influenced the rate and direction of vertebrate evolution in southern Gondwana as evidenced by the numerous reptile fossils, including dinosaurs, which are found in the Karoo strata of South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe. During the Late Carboniferous the southern part of Gondwana migrated over the South Pole resulting in a major ice sheet over the early Karoo basin and surrounding highlands. Glacial sedimentation in upland valleys and on the lowland shelf resulted in the Dwyka Formation at the base of the Karoo Sequence. After glaciation, an extensive shallow sea covered the gently subsiding shelf, fed by large volumes of meltwater

The archaeological evidence for the appearance of pastoralism and farming in southern Africa

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

This paper is a response to the growing reference to archaeological evidence by linguists and geneticists interested in the spread of early farmers and pastoralists in southern Africa. It presents two databases. The first contains the archaeological evidence for pastoralism and farming in southern Africa, for the period 550 BC to AD 1050. This is the first time that the seven different types of archaeological evidence that have traditionally been used to identify both spread events are presented together at this scale. This was stimulated by our interest in investigating the antiquity of an early ‘Iron Age package’ relative to the spread of single archaeological traits. The analysis shows that the package appears approximately 700 years after sites containing pottery, cattle and sheep, without agriculture, appear in the drier parts of the sub-continent. It post-dates the appearance of earlier sites with pottery associated with farmers, metal-working and cultivation in the eastern half of the sub-continent. While poor preservation undoubtedly explains the absence of some parts of the package, the analysis suggests that other explanations should be considered. The second database is a quantitative, spatial study of archaeological publications on southern African farming and pastoralism for the period 1950 to 2016, covering the same geographical area and archaeological timeframe. This is presented as a proxy for research-intensive areas in attempt to show the gaps in archaeological fieldwork and knowledge. PMID:29902271

Hydropower plans in eastern and southern Africa increase risk of concurrent climate-related electricity supply disruption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conway, Declan; Dalin, Carole; Landman, Willem A.; Osborn, Timothy J.

2017-12-01

Hydropower comprises a significant and rapidly expanding proportion of electricity production in eastern and southern Africa. In both regions, hydropower is exposed to high levels of climate variability and regional climate linkages are strong, yet an understanding of spatial interdependences is lacking. Here we consider river basin configuration and define regions of coherent rainfall variability using cluster analysis to illustrate exposure to the risk of hydropower supply disruption of current (2015) and planned (2030) hydropower sites. Assuming completion of the dams planned, hydropower will become increasingly concentrated in the Nile (from 62% to 82% of total regional capacity) and Zambezi (from 73% to 85%) basins. By 2030, 70% and 59% of total hydropower capacity will be located in one cluster of rainfall variability in eastern and southern Africa, respectively, increasing the risk of concurrent climate-related electricity supply disruption in each region. Linking of nascent regional electricity sharing mechanisms could mitigate intraregional risk, although these mechanisms face considerable political and infrastructural challenges.

"Of sheep and men": earliest direct evidence of caprine domestication in southern Africa at Leopard Cave (Erongo, Namibia).

PubMed

Pleurdeau, David; Imalwa, Emma; Détroit, Florent; Lesur, Joséphine; Veldman, Anzel; Bahain, Jean-Jacques; Marais, Eugène

2012-01-01

The origins of herding practices in southern Africa remain controversial. The first appearance of domesticated caprines in the subcontinent is thought to be c. 2000 years BP; however, the origin of this cultural development is still widely debated. Recent genetic analyses support the long-standing hypothesis of herder migration from the north, while other researchers have argued for a cultural diffusion hypothesis where the spread of herding practices took place without necessarily implicating simultaneous and large population movements. Here we document the Later Stone Age (LSA) site of Leopard Cave (Erongo, Namibia), which contains confirmed caprine remains, from which we infer that domesticates were present in the southern African region as early as the end of the first millennium BC. These remains predate the first evidence of domesticates previously recorded for the subcontinent. This discovery sheds new light on the emergence of herding practices in southern Africa, and also on the possible southward routes used by caprines along the western Atlantic coast.

Extreme Rainfall Events Over Southern Africa: Assessment of a Climate Model to Reproduce Daily Extremes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, C.; Kniveton, D.; Layberry, R.

2007-12-01

It is increasingly accepted that any possible climate change will not only have an influence on mean climate but may also significantly alter climatic variability. This issue is of particular importance for environmentally vulnerable regions such as southern Africa. The subcontinent is considered especially vulnerable extreme events, due to a number of factors including extensive poverty, disease and political instability. Rainfall variability and the identification of rainfall extremes is a function of scale, so high spatial and temporal resolution data are preferred to identify extreme events and accurately predict future variability. The majority of previous climate model verification studies have compared model output with observational data at monthly timescales. In this research, the assessment of a state-of-the-art climate model to simulate climate at daily timescales is carried out using satellite derived rainfall data from the Microwave Infra-Red Algorithm (MIRA). This dataset covers the period from 1993-2002 and the whole of southern Africa at a spatial resolution of 0.1 degree longitude/latitude. Once the model's ability to reproduce extremes has been assessed, idealised regions of SST anomalies are used to force the model, with the overall aim of investigating the ways in which SST anomalies influence rainfall extremes over southern Africa. In this paper, results from sensitivity testing of the UK Meteorological Office Hadley Centre's climate model's domain size are firstly presented. Then simulations of current climate from the model, operating in both regional and global mode, are compared to the MIRA dataset at daily timescales. Thirdly, the ability of the model to reproduce daily rainfall extremes will be assessed, again by a comparison with extremes from the MIRA dataset. Finally, the results from the idealised SST experiments are briefly presented, suggesting associations between rainfall extremes and both local and remote SST anomalies.

POLITICS OF BIOPIRACY: AN ADVENTURE INTO HOODIA/XHOBA PATENTING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA.

PubMed

Amusan, Lere

2017-01-01

Africa is being described as the wretched of the earth, despite this, the continent is endowed with natural resources, dynamic ecosystem, and different species of plants and animals, and species derivatives. This paper area of departure is to focus on Hoodia, a plant that is being a source of food, medicine and water for the San and Khoe indigenous peoples before the advent of Europeans into southern Africa. South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) dubiously patented Hoodia without observing the basic indices of geographical indications (GIs), indigenous knowledge (IK), novelty, access sharing benefit (ASB), prior informed consent (PIC) and sustainability of ecosystem before the rights was sold to Phytopharm pharmaceutical company. This article adopts neoliberal thesis with emphasis on complex interdependence theory of organic linkages between developing and developed countries. Secondary sources of information taken into account of qualitative and critical discuss content analyses dominate this paper. The paper recommends a linkage between developed and developing states based on endowment theory and comparative advantage with the notion of adhering to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which has three objectives: the conservation of biodiversity; the sustainable utilisation of indigenous biological resources (IBR); and fair and equitable benefit sharing. The paper recommends that there is a need to follow CBD and other relevant international regimes that promote equal exchange in exploitation of Africa resources as against the present skewed arrangement that is in favour of multinational corporations (MNCs).

Challenges for Children and Women in the 1990s: Eastern and Southern Africa in Profile.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Children's Fund, Nairobi (Kenya). Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office.

This report profiles conditions in the lives of children and women in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA), and attempts to identify and analyze trends and issues which are emerging in ESA and which have particular significance for UNICEF activities. During the 1980s, ESA experienced unprecedented economic decline due to falling commodity prices and…

Children's rights in the context of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa.

PubMed

van Rensburg, Gisela H; et Phil, D Litt; Human, Sarie P

2005-01-01

Children in Southern Africa are living under extreme, difficult circumstances because of the spread of HIV/AIDS. Protecting and enhancing the rights of children can be regarded as an investment in the future. The principles identified in the World Fit for Children document from the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, within the context of HIV/AIDS, were used as a theoretical framework for a study conducted in one of the provinces of South Africa. A survey was conducted as a collaborative research project to map out critical trends regarding the fulfillment of children's rights, patterns, and structures of services available and the identification of capacity gaps. Right holders and duty bearers were interviewed, area surveys were conducted, and field observations were performed to determine data. Recommendations were made to raise the awareness of children's rights and to mobilize the community into action. To realize children's rights, emphasis must be placed on physical survival, development, and protection. Duty bearers should recognize and accept their responsibilities to establish, facilitate, manage, and/or control plans of action to address the devastating consequences of HIV/AIDS. Children should be empowered with knowledge, skills, and awareness to engage in and claim their rights.

El Niño and the shifting geography of cholera in Africa

PubMed Central

Moore, Sean M.; Azman, Andrew S.; Zaitchik, Benjamin F.; Mintz, Eric D.; Brunkard, Joan; Legros, Dominique; Hill, Alexandra; McKay, Heather; Luquero, Francisco J.; Olson, David; Lessler, Justin

2017-01-01

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and other climate patterns can have profound impacts on the occurrence of infectious diseases ranging from dengue to cholera. In Africa, El Niño conditions are associated with increased rainfall in East Africa and decreased rainfall in southern Africa, West Africa, and parts of the Sahel. Because of the key role of water supplies in cholera transmission, a relationship between El Niño events and cholera incidence is highly plausible, and previous research has shown a link between ENSO patterns and cholera in Bangladesh. However, there is little systematic evidence for this link in Africa. Using high-resolution mapping techniques, we find that the annual geographic distribution of cholera in Africa from 2000 to 2014 changes dramatically, with the burden shifting to continental East Africa—and away from Madagascar and portions of southern, Central, and West Africa—where almost 50,000 additional cases occur during El Niño years. Cholera incidence during El Niño years was higher in regions of East Africa with increased rainfall, but incidence was also higher in some areas with decreased rainfall, suggesting a complex relationship between rainfall and cholera incidence. Here, we show clear evidence for a shift in the distribution of cholera incidence throughout Africa in El Niño years, likely mediated by El Niño’s impact on local climatic factors. Knowledge of this relationship between cholera and climate patterns coupled with ENSO forecasting could be used to notify countries in Africa when they are likely to see a major shift in their cholera risk. PMID:28396423

Diversity and biogeographical patterns of legumes (Leguminosae) indigenous to southern Africa

PubMed Central

Trytsman, Marike; Westfall, Robert H.; Breytenbach, Philippus J. J.; Calitz, Frikkie J.; van Wyk, Abraham E.

2016-01-01

Abstract The principal aim of this study was to establish biogeographical patterns in the legume flora of southern Africa so as to facilitate the selection of species with agricultural potential. Plant collection data from the National Herbarium, South Africa, were analysed to establish the diversity and areas covered by legumes (Leguminosae/Fabaceae) indigenous to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. A total of 27,322 records from 1,619 quarter degree grid cells, representing 1,580 species, 122 genera and 24 tribes were included in the analyses. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering was applied to the presence or absence of legume species in quarter degree grid cells, the resultant natural biogeographical regions (choria) being referred to as leguminochoria. The description of the 16 uniquely formed leguminochoria focuses on defining the associated bioregions and biomes, as well as on the key climate and soil properties. Legume species with a high occurrence in a leguminochorion are listed as key species. The dominant growth form of key species, species richness and range within each leguminochorion is discussed. Floristic links between the leguminochoria are established, by examining and comparing key species common to clusters, using a vegetation classification program. Soil pH and mean annual minimum temperature were found to be the main drivers for distinguishing among legume assemblages. This is the first time that distribution data for legumes has been used to identify biogeographical areas covered by leguminochoria on the subcontinent. One potential application of the results of this study is to assist in the selection of legumes for pasture breeding and soil conservation programs, especially in arid and semi-arid environments. PMID:27829799

Diversity and biogeographical patterns of legumes (Leguminosae) indigenous to southern Africa.

PubMed

Trytsman, Marike; Westfall, Robert H; Breytenbach, Philippus J J; Calitz, Frikkie J; van Wyk, Abraham E

2016-01-01

The principal aim of this study was to establish biogeographical patterns in the legume flora of southern Africa so as to facilitate the selection of species with agricultural potential. Plant collection data from the National Herbarium, South Africa, were analysed to establish the diversity and areas covered by legumes (Leguminosae/Fabaceae) indigenous to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. A total of 27,322 records from 1,619 quarter degree grid cells, representing 1,580 species, 122 genera and 24 tribes were included in the analyses. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering was applied to the presence or absence of legume species in quarter degree grid cells, the resultant natural biogeographical regions (choria) being referred to as leguminochoria. The description of the 16 uniquely formed leguminochoria focuses on defining the associated bioregions and biomes, as well as on the key climate and soil properties. Legume species with a high occurrence in a leguminochorion are listed as key species. The dominant growth form of key species, species richness and range within each leguminochorion is discussed. Floristic links between the leguminochoria are established, by examining and comparing key species common to clusters, using a vegetation classification program. Soil pH and mean annual minimum temperature were found to be the main drivers for distinguishing among legume assemblages. This is the first time that distribution data for legumes has been used to identify biogeographical areas covered by leguminochoria on the subcontinent. One potential application of the results of this study is to assist in the selection of legumes for pasture breeding and soil conservation programs, especially in arid and semi-arid environments.

Prediction, Assessment of the Rift Valley Fever Activity in East and Southern Africa 2006–2008 and Possible Vector Control Strategies

PubMed Central

Anyamba, Assaf; Linthicum, Kenneth J.; Small, Jennifer; Britch, Seth C.; Pak, Edwin; de La Rocque, Stephane; Formenty, Pierre; Hightower, Allen W.; Breiman, Robert F.; Chretien, Jean-Paul; Tucker, Compton J.; Schnabel, David; Sang, Rosemary; Haagsma, Karl; Latham, Mark; Lewandowski, Henry B.; Magdi, Salih Osman; Mohamed, Mohamed Ally; Nguku, Patrick M.; Reynes, Jean-Marc; Swanepoel, Robert

2010-01-01

Historical outbreaks of Rift Valley fever (RVF) since the early 1950s have been associated with cyclical patterns of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, which results in elevated and widespread rainfall over the RVF endemic areas of Africa. Using satellite measurements of global and regional elevated sea surface temperatures, elevated rainfall, and satellite derived-normalized difference vegetation index data, we predicted with lead times of 2–4 months areas where outbreaks of RVF in humans and animals were expected and occurred in the Horn of Africa, Sudan, and Southern Africa at different time periods from September 2006 to March 2008. Predictions were confirmed by entomological field investigations of virus activity and by reported cases of RVF in human and livestock populations. This represents the first series of prospective predictions of RVF outbreaks and provides a baseline for improved early warning, control, response planning, and mitigation into the future. PMID:20682905

Conservation of indigenous cattle genetic resources in Southern Africa's smallholder areas: turning threats into opportunities - A review.

PubMed

Nyamushamba, G B; Mapiye, C; Tada, O; Halimani, T E; Muchenje, V

2017-05-01

The current review focuses on characterization and conservation efforts vital for the development of breeding programmes for indigenous beef cattle genetic resources in Southern Africa. Indigenous African cattle breeds were identified and characterized using information from refereed journals, conference papers and research reports. Results of this current review reviewed that smallholder beef cattle production in Southern Africa is extensive and dominated by indigenous beef cattle strains adaptable to the local environment. The breeds include Nguni, Mashona, Tuli, Malawi Zebu, Bovino de Tete, Angoni, Landim, Barotse, Twsana and Ankole. These breeds have important functions ranging from provision of food and income to socio-economic, cultural and ecological roles. They also have adaptive traits ranging from drought tolerant, resistance to ticks and tick borne diseases, heat tolerance and resistance to trypanosomosis. Stakeholders in the conservation of beef cattle were also identified and they included farmers, national government, research institutes and universities as well as breeding companies and societies in Southern Africa. Research efforts made to evaluate threats and opportunities of indigenous beef cattle production systems, assess the contribution of indigenous cattle to household food security and income, genetically and phenotypically characterize and conserve indigenous breeds, and develop breeding programs for smallholder beef production are highlighted. Although smallholder beef cattle production in the smallholder farming systems contributes substantially to household food security and income, their productivity is hindered by several constraints that include high prevalence of diseases and parasites, limited feed availability and poor marketing. The majority of the African cattle populations remain largely uncharacterized although most of the indigenous cattle breeds have been identified.

Prediction, Assessment of the Rift Valley Fever Activity in East and Southern Africa 2006-2008 and Possible Vector Control Strategies

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

and Hygiene INTRODUCTION Rift Valley fever ( RVF ) is a mosquito-borne viral disease with pronounced health and economic impacts on domestic...animals and humans in much of sub-Saharan Africa. 1 The eco- nomic loss from RVF in East Africa is estimated to exceed $60 million because of disruption in...morbidity and mortality in humans. The RVF epizootics and epidemics are closely linked to the occurrence of the warm phase of the El Niño/Southern

Seasonal and Interannual Variations in BC Emissions From Open Biomass Burning in Southern Africa From 1998 to 2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, A.; Akimoto, H.

2006-12-01

We estimate the emissions of black carbon (BC) from open vegetation fires in southern hemisphere Africa from 1998 to 2005 using satellite information in conjunction with a biogeochemical model. Monthly burned areas at a 0.5-degree resolution are estimated from the Visible and Infrared Scanner (VIRS) fire count product and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) burned area data set associated with the MODIS tree cover imagery in grasslands and woodlands. The monthly fuel load distribution is derived from a 0.5- degree terrestrial carbon cycle model in conjunction with satellite data. The monthly maps of combustion factor and emission factor are estimated using empirical models that predict the effects of fuel conditions on these factors in grasslands and woodlands. Our annual averaged BC emitted per unit area burned is 0.17 g BC m-2 which is consistent with the product of fuel consumption and emission factor typically measured in southern Africa. The BC emissions from open vegetation burning in southern Africa ranged from 0.26 Tg BC yr-1 for 2002 to 0.42 Tg BC yr-1 for 1998. The peak in BC emissions is identical to that from previous top-down estimate using the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) Aerosol Index (AI) data. The sum of monthly emissions during the burning season in 2000 is in good agreement between our estimate (0.38 Tg) and previous estimate constrained by numerical model and measurements (0.47 Tg).

The status of water demand management in selected cities of southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gumbo, Bekithemba

As a result of the rapid rate of urbanisation throughout Africa, many African cities face mounting challenges of providing their increasing populations with adequate and sustainable water services. Water demand management (WDM) offers a sustainable solution to water woes experienced in most cities in the southern Africa region. The region is characterised by frequent droughts, floods and erratic, unevenly distributed rainfall. Meanwhile nearly half of the southern Africa’s 200 million inhabitants do not have access to safe water and sanitation. This paper makes an assessment of the status of WDM in eight cities in the region based on published data and reports. It provides a basis of benchmarking the progress and success in WDM programmes by using selected key performance indicators. Gross unaccounted-for-water (UAW) is used as a crude measure of WDM good practice. From the eight selected case studies, Windhoek, Bulawayo and Hermanus have achieved considerable success in water use efficiency, implementing WDM programmes and recording UAW values of less than 20%, whilst Johannesburg; Maputo; Maseru; Lusaka and Mutare cannot account for about 40-60% of the water introduced into the distribution system. WDM projects require some key performance indicators which need to be recorded systematically by water supply agencies to enable a consistent monitoring and evaluation of programme. Finally for WDM to succeed, a new breed of professionals with multi-disciplinary skills is required as well as training of operatives, i.e. technicians, plumbers and meter readers.

[Hydatidosis in Africa in 1996: epidemiological aspects].

PubMed

Develoux, M

1996-01-01

Hydatidosis is hyperendemic in most north African countries and in several areas of East Africa. The cycle of infestation involves dogs, ruminants and man. While sheep and goats appear to be the most common domestic intermediate, camels appear to act as the intermediate in some parts of North and East Africa. Hydatidosis is considered to be essentially rural but urban cycles have been reported in North Africa. During the last decade, echotomographic, and serologic screening for human hydatidosis were carried out in Tunisia and in nomadic populations from East Africa. These surveys have provided reliable accurate prevalence data showing that hydatidosis is a major public health problem in these areas. The highest worldwide incidence in man is in the Turkana district of Kenya. This high incidence is related to promiscuity between humans and dogs in Turkana. A pilot program to control hydatid disease was started in Turkana over 10 years ago. For unknown reasons human infestation is rare in West and Southern Africa despite the presence of hydatidosis in cattle.

Meteorite falls in Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khiri, Fouad; Ibhi, Abderrahmane; Saint-Gerant, Thierry; Medjkane, Mohand; Ouknine, Lahcen

2017-10-01

The study of meteorites provides insight into the earliest history of our solar system. From 1800, about the year meteorites were first recognized as objects falling from the sky, until December 2014, 158 observed meteorite falls were recorded in Africa. Their collected mass ranges from 1.4 g to 175 kg with the 1-10 kg cases predominant. The average rate of African falls is low with only one fall recovery per 1.35-year time interval (or 0.023 per year per million km2). This African collection is dominated by ordinary chondrites (78%) just like in the worldwide falls. The seventeen achondrites include three Martian meteorite falls (Nakhla of Egypt, Tissint of Morocco and Zagami of Nigeria). Observed Iron meteorite falls are relatively rare and represent only 5%. The falls' rate in Africa is variable in time and in space. The number of falls continues to grow since 1860, 80% of which were recovered during the period between 1910 and 2014. Most of these documented meteorite falls have been recovered from North-Western Africa, Eastern Africa and Southern Africa. They are concentrated in countries which have a large surface area and a large population with a uniform distribution. Other factors are also favorable for observing and collecting meteorite falls across the African territory, such as: a genuine meteorite education, a semi-arid to arid climate (clear sky throughout the year most of the time), croplands or sparse grasslands and possible access to the fall location with a low percentage of forest cover and dense road network.

Variability of the recent climate of eastern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schreck, Carl J., III; Semazzi, Fredrick H. M.

2004-05-01

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the recent variability of the eastern African climate. The region of interest is also known as the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA), and comprises the countries of Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania.The analysis was based primarily on the construction of empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) of gauge rainfall data and on CPC Merged Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP) data, derived from a combination of rain-gauge observations and satellite estimates. The investigation is based on the period 1961-2001 for the short rains season of eastern Africa of October through to December. The EOF analysis was supplemented by projection of National Centers for Environmental Prediction wind data onto the rainfall eigenmodes to understand the rainfall-circulation relationships. Furthermore, correlation and composite analyses have been performed with the Climatic Research Unit globally averaged surface-temperature time series to explore the potential relationship between the climate of eastern Africa and global warming.The most dominant mode of variability (EOF1) based on CMAP data over eastern Africa corresponds to El Niño-southern oscillation (ENSO) climate variability. It is associated with above-normal rainfall amounts during the short rains throughout the entire region, except for Sudan. The corresponding anomalous low-level circulation is dominated by easterly inflow from the Indian Ocean, and to a lesser extent the Congo tropical rain forest, into the positive rainfall anomaly region that extends across most of eastern Africa. The easterly inflow into eastern Africa is part of diffluent outflow from the maritime continent during the warm ENSO events. The second eastern African EOF (trend mode) is associated with decadal variability. In distinct contrast from the ENSO mode pattern, the trend mode is characterized by positive rainfall anomalies over the northern sector of

POLITICS OF BIOPIRACY: AN ADVENTURE INTO HOODIA/XHOBA PATENTING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

PubMed Central

Amusan, Lere

2017-01-01

Background: Africa is being described as the wretched of the earth, despite this, the continent is endowed with natural resources, dynamic ecosystem, and different species of plants and animals, and species derivatives. This paper area of departure is to focus on Hoodia, a plant that is being a source of food, medicine and water for the San and Khoe indigenous peoples before the advent of Europeans into southern Africa. South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) dubiously patented Hoodia without observing the basic indices of geographical indications (GIs), indigenous knowledge (IK), novelty, access sharing benefit (ASB), prior informed consent (PIC) and sustainability of ecosystem before the rights was sold to Phytopharm pharmaceutical company. Materials and methods: This article adopts neoliberal thesis with emphasis on complex interdependence theory of organic linkages between developing and developed countries. Secondary sources of information taken into account of qualitative and critical discuss content analyses dominate this paper. Result: The paper recommends a linkage between developed and developing states based on endowment theory and comparative advantage with the notion of adhering to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which has three objectives: the conservation of biodiversity; the sustainable utilisation of indigenous biological resources (IBR); and fair and equitable benefit sharing. Conclusion: The paper recommends that there is a need to follow CBD and other relevant international regimes that promote equal exchange in exploitation of Africa resources as against the present skewed arrangement that is in favour of multinational corporations (MNCs). PMID:28480387

“Of Sheep and Men”: Earliest Direct Evidence of Caprine Domestication in Southern Africa at Leopard Cave (Erongo, Namibia)

PubMed Central

Pleurdeau, David; Imalwa, Emma; Détroit, Florent; Lesur, Joséphine; Veldman, Anzel; Bahain, Jean-Jacques; Marais, Eugène

2012-01-01

The origins of herding practices in southern Africa remain controversial. The first appearance of domesticated caprines in the subcontinent is thought to be c. 2000 years BP; however, the origin of this cultural development is still widely debated. Recent genetic analyses support the long-standing hypothesis of herder migration from the north, while other researchers have argued for a cultural diffusion hypothesis where the spread of herding practices took place without necessarily implicating simultaneous and large population movements. Here we document the Later Stone Age (LSA) site of Leopard Cave (Erongo, Namibia), which contains confirmed caprine remains, from which we infer that domesticates were present in the southern African region as early as the end of the first millennium BC. These remains predate the first evidence of domesticates previously recorded for the subcontinent. This discovery sheds new light on the emergence of herding practices in southern Africa, and also on the possible southward routes used by caprines along the western Atlantic coast. PMID:22808138

[[History of Community Health in Africa. The Swiss Medical Missionaries' Endeavour in South Africa].

PubMed

Mabika, Hines

2015-01-01

It was not Dutch settlers nor British colonizers who introduced public and community health practice in north-eastern South Africa but medical doctors of the Swiss mission in southern Africa. While the history of medical knowledge transfer into 19th-20th century Africa emphasises colonial powers, this paper shows how countries without colonies contributed to expand western medical cultures, including public health. The Swiss took advantage of the local authorities' negligence, and implemented their own model of medicalization of African societies, understood as the way of improving health standards. They moved from a tolerated hospital-centred medicine to the practice of community health, which was uncommon at the time. Elim hospital's physicians moved back boundaries of segregationist policies, and sometime gave the impression of being involved in the political struggle against Apartheid. Thus, Swiss public health activities could later be seen as sorts of seeds that were planted and would partly reappear in 1994 with the ANC-projected national health policy.

Lion (Panthera leo) populations are declining rapidly across Africa, except in intensively managed areas.

PubMed

Bauer, Hans; Chapron, Guillaume; Nowell, Kristin; Henschel, Philipp; Funston, Paul; Hunter, Luke T B; Macdonald, David W; Packer, Craig

2015-12-01

We compiled all credible repeated lion surveys and present time series data for 47 lion (Panthera leo) populations. We used a Bayesian state space model to estimate growth rate-λ for each population and summed these into three regional sets to provide conservation-relevant estimates of trends since 1990. We found a striking geographical pattern: African lion populations are declining everywhere, except in four southern countries (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe). Population models indicate a 67% chance that lions in West and Central Africa decline by one-half, while estimating a 37% chance that lions in East Africa also decline by one-half over two decades. We recommend separate regional assessments of the lion in the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species: already recognized as critically endangered in West Africa, our analysis supports listing as regionally endangered in Central and East Africa and least concern in southern Africa. Almost all lion populations that historically exceeded ∼ 500 individuals are declining, but lion conservation is successful in southern Africa, in part because of the proliferation of reintroduced lions in small, fenced, intensively managed, and funded reserves. If management budgets for wild lands cannot keep pace with mounting levels of threat, the species may rely increasingly on these southern African areas and may no longer be a flagship species of the once vast natural ecosystems across the rest of the continent.

Genomic and cranial phenotype data support multiple modern human dispersals from Africa and a southern route into Asia

PubMed Central

Reyes-Centeno, Hugo; Ghirotto, Silvia; Détroit, Florent; Grimaud-Hervé, Dominique; Barbujani, Guido; Harvati, Katerina

2014-01-01

Despite broad consensus on Africa as the main place of origin for anatomically modern humans, their dispersal pattern out of the continent continues to be intensely debated. In extant human populations, the observation of decreasing genetic and phenotypic diversity at increasing distances from sub-Saharan Africa has been interpreted as evidence for a single dispersal, accompanied by a series of founder effects. In such a scenario, modern human genetic and phenotypic variation was primarily generated through successive population bottlenecks and drift during a rapid worldwide expansion out of Africa in the Late Pleistocene. However, recent genetic studies, as well as accumulating archaeological and paleoanthropological evidence, challenge this parsimonious model. They suggest instead a “southern route” dispersal into Asia as early as the late Middle Pleistocene, followed by a separate dispersal into northern Eurasia. Here we test these competing out-of-Africa scenarios by modeling hypothetical geographical migration routes and assessing their correlation with neutral population differentiation, as measured by genetic polymorphisms and cranial shape variables of modern human populations from Africa and Asia. We show that both lines of evidence support a multiple-dispersals model in which Australo-Melanesian populations are relatively isolated descendants of an early dispersal, whereas other Asian populations are descended from, or highly admixed with, members of a subsequent migration event. PMID:24753576

Cultural Diffusion Was the Main Driving Mechanism of the Neolithic Transition in Southern Africa

PubMed Central

Jerardino, Antonieta; Fort, Joaquim; Isern, Neus; Rondelli, Bernardo

2014-01-01

It is well known that the Neolithic transition spread across Europe at a speed of about 1 km/yr. This result has been previously interpreted as a range expansion of the Neolithic driven mainly by demic diffusion (whereas cultural diffusion played a secondary role). However, a long-standing problem is whether this value (1 km/yr) and its interpretation (mainly demic diffusion) are characteristic only of Europe or universal (i.e. intrinsic features of Neolithic transitions all over the world). So far Neolithic spread rates outside Europe have been barely measured, and Neolithic spread rates substantially faster than 1 km/yr have not been previously reported. Here we show that the transition from hunting and gathering into herding in southern Africa spread at a rate of about 2.4 km/yr, i.e. about twice faster than the European Neolithic transition. Thus the value 1 km/yr is not a universal feature of Neolithic transitions in the world. Resorting to a recent demic-cultural wave-of-advance model, we also find that the main mechanism at work in the southern African Neolithic spread was cultural diffusion (whereas demic diffusion played a secondary role). This is in sharp contrast to the European Neolithic. Our results further suggest that Neolithic spread rates could be mainly driven by cultural diffusion in cases where the final state of this transition is herding/pastoralism (such as in southern Africa) rather than farming and stockbreeding (as in Europe). PMID:25517968

Biology and genetics of oculocutaneous albinism and vitiligo - common pigmentation disorders in southern Africa.

PubMed

Manga, Prashiela; Kerr, Robyn; Ramsay, Michèle; Kromberg, Jennifer G R

2013-07-29

Pigmentation disorders span the genetic spectrum from single-gene autosomal recessive disorders such as oculocutaneous albinism (OCA), the autosomal dominant disorder piebaldism to X-linked ocular albinism and multifactorial vitiligo. OCA connotes a group of disorders that result in hypopigmented skin due to decreased melanin production in melanocytes and loss of visual acuity. There are four non-syndromic forms, OCA1-4, which are classified based on the gene that is mutated (tyrosinase, OCA2, tyrosinase-related protein 1 and SLC45A2, respectively). Despite the fact that multiple genes account for the various forms of OCA, the phenotypes of all four forms result from disruption in the maturation and trafficking of the enzyme tyrosinase. OCA2 is the most prevalent autosomal recessive disorder among southern African blacks, affecting 1/3 900 individuals; while OCA3, although rare, is most prevalent in southern Africa. Another common pigmentation disorder in southern Africa is vitiligo, which affects 1 - 2% of people worldwide. Vitiligo is a complex, acquired disorder in which melanocytes are destroyed due to an autoimmune response. The aetiology underlying this disorder is poorly understood, although recent genetic association studies have begun to shed light on the contributing factors. Pigmentation disorders have significant psychosocial implications and co-morbidities, yet therapies are still lacking. Recent progress in our understanding of the pathobiology of both albinism and vitiligo may herald novel treatment strategies for these disorders. 

Southern Hemisphere anticyclonic circulation drives oceanic and climatic conditions in late Holocene southernmost Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahn, Annette; Schefuß, Enno; Andò, Sergio; Cawthra, Hayley C.; Frenzel, Peter; Kugel, Martin; Meschner, Stephanie; Mollenhauer, Gesine; Zabel, Matthias

2017-06-01

Due to the high sensitivity of southern Africa to climate change, a reliable understanding of its hydrological system is crucial. Recent studies of the regional climatic system have revealed a highly complex interplay of forcing factors on precipitation regimes. This includes the influence of the tropical easterlies, the strength of the southern hemispheric westerlies as well as sea surface temperatures along the coast of the subcontinent. However, very few marine records have been available in order to study the coupling of marine and atmospheric circulation systems. Here we present results from a marine sediment core, recovered in shallow waters off the Gouritz River mouth on the south coast of South Africa. Core GeoB18308-1 allows a closer view of the last ˜ 4 kyr. Climate sensitive organic proxies, like the distribution and isotopic composition of plant-wax lipids as well as indicators for sea surface temperatures and soil input, give information on oceanographic and hydrologic changes during the recorded time period. Moreover, the micropaleontology, mineralogical and elemental composition of the sediments reflect the variability of the terrigenous input to the core site. The combination of down-core sediment signatures and a catchment-wide provenance study indicate that the Little Ice Age ( ˜ 300-650 cal yr BP) was characterized by climatic conditions favorable to torrential flood events. The Medieval Climate Anomaly ( ˜ 950-650 cal yr BP) is expressed by lower sea surface temperatures in the Mossel Bay area and humid conditions in the Gouritz River catchment. These new results suggest that the coincidence of humid conditions and cooler sea surface temperatures along the south coast of South Africa resulted from a strengthened and more southerly anticyclonic circulation. Most probably, the transport of moisture from the Indian Ocean by strong subtropical easterlies was coupled with Agulhas Bank upwelling pulses, which were initiated by an increase in

Uptake contexts and perceived impacts of HIV testing and counselling among adults in East and Southern Africa: A meta-ethnographic review.

PubMed

Witzel, T Charles; Lora, Wezzie; Lees, Shelley; Desmond, Nicola

2017-01-01

HIV testing and counselling (HTC) interventions are key to controlling the HIV epidemic in East and Southern Africa where HTC is primarily delivered through voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), provider initiated testing and counselling (PITC), and home-based counselling and testing (HBVCT). Decision making processes around uptake of HTC models must be taken into account when designing new interventions. Counselling in HTC aims to reduce post-test risk taking behaviour and to link individuals to care but its efficacy is unclear. This meta-ethnography aims to understand the contexts of HTC uptake in East and Southern Africa and to analyse the perceived impacts of counselling-based interventions in relation to sexual behaviour and linkage to care. We conducted a systematic literature review of studies investigating HTC in East and Southern Africa from 2003 -April 2014. The search and additional snowballing identified 20 studies that fit our selection criteria. These studies were synthesised through a thematic framework analysis. Twenty qualitative and mixed-methods studies examining impacts of HTC models in East and Southern Africa were meta-synthesised. VCT decisions were made individually while HBVCT decisions were located in family and community units. PITC was associated with coercion from healthcare providers. Low quality counselling components and multiple-intersecting barriers faced by individuals mean that counselling in HTC was not perceived to be effective in reducing post-test risk behaviour and had limited perceived effect in facilitating linkage to care. HBVCT is associated with minimal stigma and should be considered as an area of priority. Counselling components in HTC interventions were effective in transmitting information about HIV and sexual risk, but were perceived as ineffective in addressing the broader personal circumstances preventing sexual behaviour change and modulating access to care.

Uptake contexts and perceived impacts of HIV testing and counselling among adults in East and Southern Africa: A meta-ethnographic review

PubMed Central

Witzel, T. Charles; Lora, Wezzie; Lees, Shelley; Desmond, Nicola

2017-01-01

Introduction HIV testing and counselling (HTC) interventions are key to controlling the HIV epidemic in East and Southern Africa where HTC is primarily delivered through voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), provider initiated testing and counselling (PITC), and home-based counselling and testing (HBVCT). Decision making processes around uptake of HTC models must be taken into account when designing new interventions. Counselling in HTC aims to reduce post-test risk taking behaviour and to link individuals to care but its efficacy is unclear. This meta-ethnography aims to understand the contexts of HTC uptake in East and Southern Africa and to analyse the perceived impacts of counselling-based interventions in relation to sexual behaviour and linkage to care. Methods We conducted a systematic literature review of studies investigating HTC in East and Southern Africa from 2003 –April 2014. The search and additional snowballing identified 20 studies that fit our selection criteria. These studies were synthesised through a thematic framework analysis. Results Twenty qualitative and mixed-methods studies examining impacts of HTC models in East and Southern Africa were meta-synthesised. VCT decisions were made individually while HBVCT decisions were located in family and community units. PITC was associated with coercion from healthcare providers. Low quality counselling components and multiple-intersecting barriers faced by individuals mean that counselling in HTC was not perceived to be effective in reducing post-test risk behaviour and had limited perceived effect in facilitating linkage to care. Conclusion HBVCT is associated with minimal stigma and should be considered as an area of priority. Counselling components in HTC interventions were effective in transmitting information about HIV and sexual risk, but were perceived as ineffective in addressing the broader personal circumstances preventing sexual behaviour change and modulating access to care. PMID

Astronomy Education & Outreach in South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Throop, Henry B.

2015-11-01

Although South Africa has evolved greatly in the 20 years since the end of apartheid, it remains a very divided country. The highest-performing students are comparable in ability to those in the US and Europe, but nearly all of these students are from priveleged Afrikaaner (European) backgrounds. The vast majority of students in the country are native African, and school standards remain very low across the country. It is common that students have no textbooks, teachers have only a high school education, and schools have no telephones and no toilets. By high school graduation, the majority of students have never used a web browser -- even students in the capital of Johannesburg. And while a few students are inspired by home-grown world-class projects such as the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) and Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), most remain unaware of their existence.Despite the poor state of education in the country, students work hard, are curious, and desire information from the outside world. Astronomy is one subject in which students in rural Africa often show exceptional interest. Perhaps astronomy serves as a 'gateway science,' linking the physically observable world with the exotic and unknown.Here I report on many visits I have made to both rural and urban schools in South Africa during the 2013-2015 period. I have interacted with thousands of grade 7-12 students at dozens of schools, as well as taught students who graduated from this system and enrolled in local universities. I will present an assessment of the state of science education in South Africa, as well as a few broader suggestions for how scientists and educators in developed countries can best make an impact in Southern Africa.

Establishing an online continuing and professional development library for nurses and midwives in east, central, and southern Africa

PubMed Central

Hosey, Kristen N.; Kalula, Alphonce; Voss, Joachim

2016-01-01

Over the previous 4 years, the African Health Profession Regulatory Collaborative for nurses and midwives has supported 12 countries to establish national continuing and professional development frameworks and programs, linking continuing education to nursing and midwifery re-licensure through technical assistance and improvement grants. However, lack of electronic media and rural practice sites, differences in priority content, and varying legal frameworks make providing accessible, certifiable, and up-to-date online continuing education content for the more than 300,000 nurses and midwives in the 17 member countries of the East, Central, and Southern Africa College of Nursing a major challenge. We report here on how the East, Central, and Southern Africa College of Nursing, with technical assistance from an Afya Bora Fellow, developed an online continuing professional development library hosted on their Website using data collected in a survey of nursing and midwifery leaders in the region. PMID:27086190

Overview of the DACCIWA ground-based field campaign in southern West Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lohou, Fabienne; Kalthoff, Norbert; Brooks, Barbara; Jegede, Gbenga; Adler, Bianca; Ajao, Adewale; Ayoola, Muritala; Babić, Karmen; Bessardon, Geoffrey; Delon, Claire; Dione, Cheikh; Handwerker, Jan; Jambert, Corinne; Kohler, Martin; Lothon, Marie; Pedruzo-Bagazgoitia, Xabier; Smith, Victoria; Sunmonu, Lukman; Wieser, Andreas; Derrien, Solène

2017-04-01

During June and July 2016, a ground-based field campaign took place in southern West Africa within the framework of the Dynamics-aerosol-chemistry-cloud interactions in West Africa (DACCIWA) project. In the investigated region, extended low-level stratus clouds form very frequently during night-time and persist long into the following day influencing the diurnal cycle of the atmospheric boundary layer and, hence, the regional climate. The motivation for the measurements was to identify the meteorological controls on the whole process chain from the formation of nocturnal stratus clouds, via the daytime transition to convective clouds and the formation of deep precipitating clouds. During the measurement period, extensive remote sensing and in-situ measurements were performed at three supersites in Kumasi (Ghana), Savè (Benin) and Ile-Ife (Nigeria). The gathered observations included the energy-balance components at the Earth's surface, the mean and turbulent conditions in the nocturnal and daytime ABL as well as the de- and entrainment processes between the ABL and the free troposphere. The meteorological measurements were supplemented by aerosol and air-chemistry observations. We will give an overview of the conducted measurements including instrument availability and strategy during intensive observation periods.

Influence of aerosol-cloud interaction on austral summer precipitation over Southern Africa during ENSO events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruchith, R. D.; Sivakumar, V.

2018-04-01

In the present study, we are investigating the role of aerosols-and clouds in modulating the austral summer precipitation (December-February) during ENSO events over southern Africa region for the period from 2002 to2012 by using satellite and complimentary data sets. Aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) and Cloud radiative forcing (CRF) shows distinct patterns for El-Nina and La-Nina years. Further analysis were carried out by selecting the four Southern Africa regions where the precipitation shows remarkable difference during El-Nino and La-Nina years. These regions are R1 (33°S-24°S, 18°E-30°E), R2 (17°S-10°S, 24°E-32°E), R3 (19°S-9°S, 33°E-41°E) and R4 (7°S-0°S, 27°E-36°E). Aerosol Optical depth (AOD) shows considerable differences during these events. In region R1, R2 and R3 AOD shows more abundance in El-Nino years as compared to La-Nina years where as in R4 the AOD shows more abundance in La-Nina years. Cloud Droplet Effective radius (CDER) shows higher values during La-Nina years over R1, R2 and R3 regions but in R4 region CDER shows higher values in El-Nino years. Aerosol indirect effect (AIE) is estimated both for fixed cloud liquid water path (CLWP) and for fixed cloud ice path (CIP) bins, ranging from 1 to 300 gm -2 at 25 gm -2 interval over all the selected regions for El-Nino and La-Nina years. The results indicate more influence of positive indirect effect (Twomey effect) over R1 and R3 region during El-Nino years as compared to La-Nina years. This analysis reveals the important role of aerosol on cloud-precipitation interaction mechanism illustrating the interlinkage between dynamics and microphysics during austral summer season over southern Africa.

Risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in hunting, pet and watchdogs from Southern Spain and Northern Africa

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dogs can act as reservoirs of Toxoplasma gondii infections for humans and other hosts. Here we determined seroprevalence and risk factors of T. gondii infection in dogs from Andalusia (Southern Spain) and Ceuta (Northern Africa). Antibodies to T. gondii were detected in 235 out of 769 dogs (30.6%; C...

Bitterness values for traditional tonic plants of southern Africa.

PubMed

Olivier, D K; van Wyk, B-E

2013-06-03

Bitterness values have been determined for southern African plant species that are traditionally used as tonics (imbizas or 'musa-pelo) to alleviate the symptoms of stress and a variety of ailments related to the digestive system. To measure and present, for the first time, the bitterness values of 15 of the best-known and most widely used tonic plants in southern Africa in order to find a rationale for their traditional use in improving appetite and treating digestive ailments. Most of the plants were found to be very bitter, with bitterness values comparable to those reported for internationally well-known bitter tonics such as Artemisia absynthium L. and Gentiana lutea L. The relatively high bitterness values obtained for all of the plants indicate that their alleged value in improving digestion and appetite may at least be partly ascribed to the bitter tonic (amarum) effect, i.e., the stimulation of gastric juices via the nervus vagus. It may be interesting to examine the chemical compounds responsible for the bitter taste, as well as the possible links between bitterness and the anecdotal anti-stress properties ascribed to these species. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

EHDI Africa: advocating for infants with hearing loss in Africa.

PubMed

Swanepoel, DeWet; Störbeck, Claudine

2008-01-01

Children with hearing loss who happen to reside in Africa deserve the chance to develop according to their potential as much as their peers living in more affluent regions. This leaves a moral obligation to pursue ways of initiating, developing,and growing early hearing detection and intervention services in Africa. For these reasons, the first EHDI Africa international conference was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2007 (13-14 August). The theme was 'Building bridges in Africa: Early childhood development for children with hearing loss'. This special issue contains several reports from the EHDI Africa conference.

History and development of research on wildlife parasites in southern Africa, with emphasis on terrestrial mammals, especially ungulates

PubMed Central

Junker, Kerstin; Horak, Ivan G.; Penzhorn, Banie

2014-01-01

The history of wildlife parasitology in South Africa, and to some extent southern Africa, is reviewed, giving a brief overview of the early years and following its development from the founding of the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute in 1908 until the turn of the century. An emphasis is placed on game species. The main findings on protozoan parasites, including those of carnivores, are presented, starting in the 1890s and leading up to the first decade of the 21st century. Important developments with regard to the studies of arthropod and helminth parasites took place during a period of three decades, starting from the 1970s. Because of the sheer volume of work done by parasitologists during this time, this particular part of the overview concentrates on South African authors or authors working in South Africa at the time, and is limited to hosts that are members of the order Perissodactyla and the superorder Cetartiodactyla. PMID:25830101

The evolution of nocturnal boundary-layer clouds in southern West Africa - a case study from DACCIWA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adler, Bianca; Kalthoff, Norbert; Babić, Karmen; Lohou, Fabienne; Dione, Cheikh; Lothon, Marie; Pedruzo-Bagazgoitia, Xabier

2017-04-01

During the monsoon season, the atmospheric boundary layer in southern West Africa is characterised by various kinds of low-level clouds which experience a distinct diurnal cycle. During the night, extensive low-level stratiform clouds frequently form with a cloud base often less than few hundred metres above ground. After sunrise the cloud base slowly starts rising and eventually a transition to convective clouds occurs. While the existence of the clouds is documented in satellite images and synoptic observations, little is known about the mechanisms controlling their evolution. To provide observational evidence, a field campaign was conducted in southern West Africa in June and July 2016 within the framework of the Dynamics-aerosol-chemistry-cloud interactions in West Africa (DACCIWA) project. Comprehensive ground-based in situ and remote sensing measurements were performed at three different supersites in Ghana, Benin and Nigeria. In this contribution, we present the diurnal cycle of boundary-layer clouds for a typical day using data from a supersite at Savè in Benin. Due to the synergy of various instruments, we are able to obtain detailed information on the evolution of the clouds as well as on the boundary-layer structure with high temporal and vertical resolution. By combining ceilometer, cloud radar and microwave radiometer data we determined the cloud base, -depth and -density. The clouds form in the same layer as a nocturnal low-level jet (NLLJ), which we probe by sodar and UHF profiler. There is evidence for a strong link between the height and strength of the NLLJ and the density of the nocturnal clouds.

Theoretical Perspectives on Gender in Education: The Case of Eastern and Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mannathoko, Changu

1999-11-01

In recent years, throughout Eastern and Southern Africa, there has been a proliferation of research on gender in education. It is possible to point to a wide variety of publications, courses and programmes planned and organized by universities, national governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and the private sector relating to this field. This article examines the feminist and gender theories underpinning all these endeavors. The theories are assessed for their potential capacity to assist in elucidating the complex relationship between gender and development within the region.

Fewer rainy days and more extreme rainfall by the end of the century in Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pohl, Benjamin; Macron, Clémence; Monerie, Paul-Arthur

2017-04-01

Future changes in the structure of daily rainfall, especially the number of rainy days and the intensity of extreme events, are likely to induce major impacts on rain-fed agriculture in the tropics. In Africa this issue is of primary importance, but the agreement between climate models to simulate such descriptors of rainfall is generally poor. Here, we show that the climate models used for the fifth assessment report of IPCC simulate a marked decrease in the number of rainy days, together with a strong increase in the rainfall amounts during the 1% wettest days, by the end of the 21st century over Southern Africa. These combined changes lead to an apparent stability of seasonal totals, but are likely to alter the quality of the rainy season. These evolutions are due to the superposition of slowly-changing moisture fluxes, mainly supported by increased hygrometric capacity associated with global warming, and unchanged short-term atmospheric configurations in which extreme events are embedded. This could cause enhanced floods or droughts, stronger soil erosion and nutriment loss, questioning the sustainability of food security for the 300 million people currently living in Africa south of the Equator.

Wildlife Poaching: Africa’s Surging Trafficking Threat

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-01

4 1 Wildlife Poaching : Africa’s Surging Trafficking Threat By Bradley anderson and Johan Jooste u Spikes in the prices of ivory and rhino horn have...that significant net population declines have begun. Rhino poaching has also skyrocketed. Illegal killings in southern Africa from 2000 to 2007...were rare, frequently fewer than 10 a year. An explosion in poaching rates commenced in 2008. By 2013, 1,004 rhinos were poached in South Africa alone

A biregional survey and review of first-line treatment failure and second-line paediatric antiretroviral access and use in Asia and southern Africa

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background To better understand the need for paediatric second-line antiretroviral therapy (ART), an ART management survey and a cross-sectional analysis of second-line ART use were conducted in the TREAT Asia Paediatric HIV Observational Database and the IeDEA Southern Africa (International Epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS) regional cohorts. Methods Surveys were conducted in April 2009. Analysis data from the Asia cohort were collected in March 2009 from 12 centres in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Data from the IeDEA Southern Africa cohort were finalized in February 2008 from 10 centres in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Results Survey responses reflected inter-regional variations in drug access and national guidelines. A total of 1301 children in the TREAT Asia and 4561 children in the IeDEA Southern Africa cohorts met inclusion criteria for the cross-sectional analysis. Ten percent of Asian and 3.3% of African children were on second-line ART at the time of data transfer. Median age (interquartile range) in months at second-line initiation was 120 (78-145) months in the Asian cohort and 66 (29-112) months in the southern African cohort. Regimens varied, and the then current World Health Organization-recommended nucleoside reverse transcriptase combination of abacavir and didanosine was used in less than 5% of children in each region. Conclusions In order to provide life-long ART for children, better use of current first-line regimens and broader access to heat-stable, paediatric second-line and salvage formulations are needed. There will be limited benefit to earlier diagnosis of treatment failure unless providers and patients have access to appropriate drugs for children to switch to. PMID:21306608

Nocturnal low-level clouds over southern West Africa analysed using high-resolution simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adler, Bianca; Kalthoff, Norbert; Gantner, Leonhard

2017-01-01

We performed a high-resolution numerical simulation to study the development of extensive low-level clouds that frequently form over southern West Africa during the monsoon season. This study was made in preparation for a field campaign in 2016 within the Dynamics-aerosol-chemistry-cloud interactions in West Africa (DACCIWA) project and focuses on an area around the city of Savè in southern Benin. Nocturnal low-level clouds evolve a few hundred metres above the ground around the same level as a distinct low-level jet. Several processes are found to determine the spatio-temporal evolution of these clouds including (i) significant cooling of the nocturnal atmosphere caused by horizontal advection with the south-westerly monsoon flow during the first half of the night, (ii) vertical cold air advection due to gravity waves leading to clouds in the wave crests and (iii) enhanced convergence and upward motion upstream of existing clouds that trigger new clouds. The latter is caused by an upward shift of the low-level jet in cloudy areas leading to horizontal convergence in the lower part and to horizontal divergence in the upper part of the cloud layer. Although this single case study hardly allows for a generalisation of the processes found, the results added to the optimisation of the measurements strategy for the field campaign and the observations will be used to test the hypotheses for cloud formation resulting from this study.

Currently important animal disease management issues in sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Thomson, G R

2009-03-01

The present international approach to management of transboundary animal diseases (TADs) is based on the assumption that most can be eradicated; consequently, that is the usual objective adopted by international organizations concerned with animal health. However, for sub-Saharan Africa and southern Africa more particularly, eradication of most TADs is impossible for the foreseeable future for a variety of technical, financial and logistical reasons. Compounding this, the present basis for access to international markets for products derived from animals requires that the area of origin (country or zone) is free from trade-influencing TADs. The ongoing development of transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs), extending across huge areas of southern Africa, therefore presents a development conundrum because it makes creation of geographic areas free from TADs more difficult and brings development based on wildlife conservation on the one hand and that based on livestock production on the other into sharp conflict. Sub-Saharan Africa is consequently confronted by a complex problem that contributes significantly to retarded rural development which, in turn, impedes poverty alleviation. In southern Africa specifically, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) presents the greatest problem in relation to access to international markets for animal products. However, it is argued that this problem could be overcome by a combination between (1) implementation of a commodity-based approach to trade in products derived from animals and (2) amendment of the international standards for FMD specifically (i.e. the FMD chapter in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health [OIE]) so that occurrence of SAT serotype viruses in free-living African buffalo need not necessarily mean exclusion of areas where buffalo occur from international markets for animal products. This would overcome a presently intractable constraint to market access for southern African

[Epidemic typhus in Africa].

PubMed

Ndihokubwayo, J B; Raoult, D

1999-01-01

Epidemic typhus is caused by a small strictly intracellular virus named Rickettsia prowazekii, a member of the Rickettsial family. It is transmitted to man by the body louse, Pediculus humanus. Although now rare in Western countries, exanthematic typhus remains common in the Southern hemisphere due to poverty, inadequate clothing hygiene, and poor socioeconomic conditions. In Africa, outbreaks have historically occurred in Burundi, Rwanda, southwest Ouganda, and Ethiopia. The largest outbreak of epidemic typhus since the World War II was reported in Burundi where ongoing civil war since October 1993 has forced 10 p. 100 of the population of Burundi to live in cold, promiscuity, and malnutrition of makeshift refugee camps. The purpose of this report based on our two-year experience working with this unfortunate population is to describe the characteristics of this disease in Africa where the epidemic form had become rare until recently. Indeed political unrest as well as numerous civil wars are now epidmiological factors favorizing outbreaks of epidemic typhus at any time. This overview also provides an opportunity to recall epidemiological, bacteriological, and clinical aspects of typhus as well as diagnosis and treatment of the disease in the context of Africa.

Distributions of Trace Gases and Aerosols during the Dry Biomass Burning Season in Southern Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sinha, Parikhit; Hobbs, Peter V.; Yokelson, Robert J.; Blake, Donald R.; Gao, Song; Kirchstetter, Thomas W.

2003-01-01

Vertical profiles in the lower troposphere of temperature, relative humidity, sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), condensation nuclei (CN), and carbon monoxide (CO), and horizontal distributions of twenty gaseous and particulate species, are presented for five regions of southern Africa during the dry biomass burning season of 2000. The regions are the semiarid savannas of northeast South Africa and northern Botswana, the savanna-forest mosaic of coastal Mozambique, the humid savanna of southern Zambia, and the desert of western Namibia. The highest average concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), CO, methane (CH4), O3, black particulate carbon, and total particulate carbon were in the Botswana and Zambia sectors (388 and 392 ppmv, 369 and 453 ppbv, 1753 and 1758 ppbv, 79 and 88 ppbv, 2.6 and 5.5 micrograms /cubic meter and 13.2 and 14.3 micrograms/cubic meter). This was due to intense biomass burning in Zambia and surrounding regions. The South Africa sector had the highest average concentrations of SO2, sulfate particles, and CN (5.1 ppbv, 8.3 micrograms/cubic meter, and per 6400 cubic meter , respectively), which derived from biomass burning and electric generation plants and mining operations within this sector. Air quality in the Mozambique sector was similar to the neighboring South Africa sector. Over the arid Namibia sector there were polluted layers aloft, in which average SO2, O3, and CO mixing ratios (1.2 ppbv, 76 ppbv, and 3 10 ppbv, respectively) were similar to those measured over the other more polluted sectors. This was due to transport of biomass smoke from regions of widespread savanna burning in southern Angola. Average concentrations over all sectors of CO2 (386 +/- 8 ppmv), CO (261 +/- 81 ppbv), SO2 (2.5 +/- 1.6 ppbv), O3 (64 +/- 13 ppbv), black particulate carbon (2.3 +/- 1.9 microgram/cubic meter), organic particulate carbon (6.2 +/- 5.2 microgram/cubic meter), total particle mass (26.0 +/- 4.7 microgram/cubic meter), and potassium particles (0

Transitioning HIV care and treatment programs in southern Africa to full local management.

PubMed

Vermund, Sten H; Sidat, Mohsin; Weil, Lori F; Tique, José A; Moon, Troy D; Ciampa, Philip J

2012-06-19

Global AIDS programs such as the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) face a challenging health care management transition. HIV care must evolve from vertically-organized, externally-supported efforts to sustainable, locally controlled components that are integrated into the horizontal primary health care systems of host nations. We compared four southern African nations in AIDS care, financial, literacy, and health worker capacity parameters (2005 to 2009) to contrast in their capacities to absorb the huge HIV care and prevention endeavors that are now managed with international technical and fiscal support. Botswana has a relatively high national income, a small population, and an advanced HIV/AIDS care program; it is well poised to take on management of its HIV/AIDS programs. South Africa has had a slower start, given HIV denialism philosophies of the previous government leadership. Nonetheless, South Africa has the national income, health care management, and health worker capacity to succeed in fully local management. The sheer magnitude of the burden is daunting, however, and South Africa will need continuing fiscal assistance. In contrast, Zambia and Mozambique have comparatively lower per capita incomes, many fewer health care workers per capita, and lower national literacy rates. It is improbable that fully independent management of their HIV programs is feasible on the timetable being contemplated by donors, nor is locally sustainable financing conceivable at present. A tailored nation-by-nation approach is needed for the transition to full local capacitation; donor nation policymakers must ensure that global resources and technical support are not removed prematurely.

Working with Cultural-Historical Activity Theory and Critical Realism to Investigate and Expand Farmer Learning in Southern Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mukute, Mutizwa; Lotz-Sisitka, Heila

2012-01-01

This article uses the theoretical and methodological tools of cultural historical activity theory and critical realism to examine three case studies of the introduction and expansion of sustainable agricultural practices in southern Africa. The article addresses relevant issues in the field of agricultural extension, which lacks a theoretical…

Satellite-based high-resolution mapping of rainfall over southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, Hanna; Drönner, Johannes; Nauss, Thomas

2017-06-01

A spatially explicit mapping of rainfall is necessary for southern Africa for eco-climatological studies or nowcasting but accurate estimates are still a challenging task. This study presents a method to estimate hourly rainfall based on data from the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI). Rainfall measurements from about 350 weather stations from 2010-2014 served as ground truth for calibration and validation. SEVIRI and weather station data were used to train neural networks that allowed the estimation of rainfall area and rainfall quantities over all times of the day. The results revealed that 60 % of recorded rainfall events were correctly classified by the model (probability of detection, POD). However, the false alarm ratio (FAR) was high (0.80), leading to a Heidke skill score (HSS) of 0.18. Estimated hourly rainfall quantities were estimated with an average hourly correlation of ρ = 0. 33 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.72. The correlation increased with temporal aggregation to 0.52 (daily), 0.67 (weekly) and 0.71 (monthly). The main weakness was the overestimation of rainfall events. The model results were compared to the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. Despite being a comparably simple approach, the presented MSG-based rainfall retrieval outperformed GPM IMERG in terms of rainfall area detection: GPM IMERG had a considerably lower POD. The HSS was not significantly different compared to the MSG-based retrieval due to a lower FAR of GPM IMERG. There were no further significant differences between the MSG-based retrieval and GPM IMERG in terms of correlation with the observed rainfall quantities. The MSG-based retrieval, however, provides rainfall in a higher spatial resolution. Though estimating rainfall from satellite data remains challenging, especially at high temporal resolutions, this study showed promising results

Impact of immigration on HIV-1 molecular epidemiology in West Africa, Maghreb and Southern Europe.

PubMed

Miri, Lamia; Wakrim, Lahcen; Kassar, Hassène; Hemminki, Kari; Khyatti, Meriem

2014-01-01

There is global concern about the relation between international migration and the course of the AIDS epidemic. Maghreb is a North African region, which lies between sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. It has been turned recently into a region of immigration, since there are more and more flows of West African migrants hoping to reach European countries. Here we provide an overview on HIV-1 molecular epidemiology particularly in West African countries, Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) and southern European countries (Spain, France, and Italy). The studies conducted in several countries of the region revealed different features of HIV-1 molecular epidemiology, especially for the distribution of viral subtypes and for transmitted drug resistance profiles. Furthermore, migration from West Africa to Europe seems to be a potential source of non-B subtype mobility to Maghreb and eventually to southern Europe, where HIV-1 non-B variants significantly increased in the last 10 to 15 years. As genetic differences between subtypes might impact the drug resistance pathways, it is important to provide continuous surveillance programs for the early detection of new variants spreading in the population before they become more prevalent, and to identify resistance profiles in different infected populations, especially migrants.

Transportation as an Element of Foreign Policy in Southern Africa or the Ties that Bind

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-06-01

been used by political leaders in Southern Africa to push regional development in a direction that would benefit the particular personal or corporate ...concession to an American financed company which rapidly went bankrupt and sold out to an English owned company, owned by Cecil J. Rhodes. Claiming breach...8217 political cunning and his ability to secure financing , all in an effort to "extract maximum political advantage with minimum financial outlay." [Ref

Rainfall variability and extremes over southern Africa: Assessment of a climate model to reproduce daily extremes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, C. J. R.; Kniveton, D. R.; Layberry, R.

2009-04-01

It is increasingly accepted that that any possible climate change will not only have an influence on mean climate but may also significantly alter climatic variability. A change in the distribution and magnitude of extreme rainfall events (associated with changing variability), such as droughts or flooding, may have a far greater impact on human and natural systems than a changing mean. This issue is of particular importance for environmentally vulnerable regions such as southern Africa. The subcontinent is considered especially vulnerable to and ill-equipped (in terms of adaptation) for extreme events, due to a number of factors including extensive poverty, famine, disease and political instability. Rainfall variability and the identification of rainfall extremes is a function of scale, so high spatial and temporal resolution data are preferred to identify extreme events and accurately predict future variability. The majority of previous climate model verification studies have compared model output with observational data at monthly timescales. In this research, the assessment of ability of a state of the art climate model to simulate climate at daily timescales is carried out using satellite derived rainfall data from the Microwave Infra-Red Algorithm (MIRA). This dataset covers the period from 1993-2002 and the whole of southern Africa at a spatial resolution of 0.1 degree longitude/latitude. The ability of a climate model to simulate current climate provides some indication of how much confidence can be applied to its future predictions. In this paper, simulations of current climate from the UK Meteorological Office Hadley Centre's climate model, in both regional and global mode, are firstly compared to the MIRA dataset at daily timescales. This concentrates primarily on the ability of the model to simulate the spatial and temporal patterns of rainfall variability over southern Africa. Secondly, the ability of the model to reproduce daily rainfall extremes will

Rainfall variability and extremes over southern Africa: assessment of a climate model to reproduce daily extremes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, C.; Kniveton, D.; Layberry, R.

2009-04-01

It is increasingly accepted that that any possible climate change will not only have an influence on mean climate but may also significantly alter climatic variability. A change in the distribution and magnitude of extreme rainfall events (associated with changing variability), such as droughts or flooding, may have a far greater impact on human and natural systems than a changing mean. This issue is of particular importance for environmentally vulnerable regions such as southern Africa. The subcontinent is considered especially vulnerable to and ill-equipped (in terms of adaptation) for extreme events, due to a number of factors including extensive poverty, famine, disease and political instability. Rainfall variability and the identification of rainfall extremes is a function of scale, so high spatial and temporal resolution data are preferred to identify extreme events and accurately predict future variability. The majority of previous climate model verification studies have compared model output with observational data at monthly timescales. In this research, the assessment of ability of a state of the art climate model to simulate climate at daily timescales is carried out using satellite derived rainfall data from the Microwave Infra-Red Algorithm (MIRA). This dataset covers the period from 1993-2002 and the whole of southern Africa at a spatial resolution of 0.1 degree longitude/latitude. The ability of a climate model to simulate current climate provides some indication of how much confidence can be applied to its future predictions. In this paper, simulations of current climate from the UK Meteorological Office Hadley Centre's climate model, in both regional and global mode, are firstly compared to the MIRA dataset at daily timescales. This concentrates primarily on the ability of the model to simulate the spatial and temporal patterns of rainfall variability over southern Africa. Secondly, the ability of the model to reproduce daily rainfall extremes will

Rates of surface lowering and landscape development in southern South Africa: a cosmogenic view

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, Janet; Vanacker, Veerle; Lang, Andreas; Hodgson, David

2016-04-01

The landscape of southern South Africa is characterised by large-scale erosion surfaces, including extensive pediments and multiple strath terraces, which document discordant river evolution through resistant quarzitic lithologies of the Cape Fold Belt (CFB). The timing and rate of erosion is poorly constrained. New cosmogenic ages from surfaces in South Africa are presented using in situ produced 10Be. Strath terraces in deeply incised rivers at two sites within the CFB indicate slow rates of erosion (1.54 - 11.79 m/Ma), which are some of the lowest rates recorded globally. Four pediment surfaces and a depth profile of the thickest pediment were also dated, and the results indicate that there are low rates of surface lowering on the pediments (0.44 - 1.24 m/Ma). The pediments are long-lived features (minimum exposure ages of 0.47 - 1.09 Ma), and are now deeply dissected. Given the minimum exposure ages, calculated river incision rates (42- 203 m/Ma) suggest that after a long period of geomorphic stability during pediment formation there was a discrete phase of increased geomorphic activity. The calculated minimum exposure ages are considered dubious because: 1) known rates of surrounding river incision (published and ours); 2) the climate conditions and time necessary for ferricrete formation on the pediment surfaces and; 3) the deeply incised catchments in the CFB on which the pediments sit, which all point to the pediments being much older. The pediments are fossilised remnants of a much larger geomorphic surface that formed after the main phase of exhumation in southern Africa. They form a store of sediment that currently sit above the surrounding rivers that have some of the lowest erosion rates in the world. These results indicate that steep topography can prevail even in areas of low erosion and tectonic quiescence, and that whilst cosmogenic dating of landscapes is an exciting development in earth sciences, care is needed especially in ancient settings. We

Health of Indigenous people in Africa.

PubMed

Ohenjo, Nyang'ori; Willis, Ruth; Jackson, Dorothy; Nettleton, Clive; Good, Kenneth; Mugarura, Benon

2006-06-10

Our paper is part of a series focusing on Indigenous peoples' health in different world regions. Indigenous peoples worldwide are subject to marginalisation and discrimination, systematically experiencing poorer health than do majority groups. In Africa, poor health in the general population is widely recognised, but the consistently lower health position and social status of Indigenous peoples are rarely noted. Disputed conceptual understandings of indigeneity, a history of discriminatory colonial and post-colonial policies, and non-recognition of Indigenous groups by some governments complicate the situation. We discuss two case studies, of the central African Pygmy peoples and the San of southern Africa, to illustrate recurring issues in Indigenous health in the continent. We make recommendations for the recognition of Indigenous peoples in Africa and improvements needed in the collection of health data and the provision of services. Finally, we argue that wider changes are needed to address the social determinants of Indigenous peoples' health.

Descriptive epidemiology of cardiovascular risk factors and diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Mensah, George A

2013-01-01

Reliable data on risk factor levels, exposure history, and population distribution can help inform policies and programs for disease prevention and control. With rare exception however, ideal local data on major risk factors and causes of death and disease burden have been scarce in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Basic community surveys in some countries and recent systematic analysis of disease burden attributable to 67 risk factors and risk factor clusters in 21 regions of the world provide an opportunity to examine and relate diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors to mortality and burden in SSA. Rising body mass index, especially in women in Southern Africa; and rising systolic blood pressure in East Africa for both sexes, and in West Africa for women are the major cardiometabolic risk factors. Harmful use of alcohol, especially in Southern SSA, tobacco use, and physical inactivity are also important. Improving vital registration and risk factor surveillance remain major challenges. © 2013.

South Africa: Country Status Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McFerren, Margaret

A survey of the status of language usage in South Africa begins with an overview of the distribution among the population of the official languages, Afrikaans and English, and the principle languages of the Black majority: Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, Nothern Sotho (Pedi), Southern Sotho, Tsonga, Swazi, and Venda. The influence of apartheid policy on…

United States Policy for Southern Africa.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-01

tribes . A primary rivalry is between the nearly six million Zulus and the Xhosa-speaking tribes . The principle Zulu party, Inkatha, led by Chief...impact of tribalism and tribe loyalty as a devisive factor in the South African political scene. "The land is divided among 10 separate black tribal...dividing the blacks by tribe . White government officials argue that the experience elsewhere in Africa has taught them that efforts towards tribal

Preliminary Exploration of Encounter During Transit Across Southern Africa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stroud, Phillip David; Cuellar-Hengartner, Leticia; Kubicek, Deborah Ann

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is utilizing the Probability Effectiveness Methodology (PEM) tools, particularly the Pathway Analysis, Threat Response and Interdiction Options Tool (PATRIOT) to support the DNDO Architecture and Planning Directorate’s (APD) development of a multi-region terrorist risk assessment tool. The effort is divided into three stages. The first stage is an exploration of what can be done with PATRIOT essentially as is, to characterize encounter rate during transit across a single selected region. The second stage is to develop, condition, and implement required modifications to the data and conduct analysis to generate a well-founded assessment of the transitmore » reliability across that selected region, and to identify any issues in the process. The final stage is to extend the work to a full multi-region global model. This document provides the results of the first stage, namely preliminary explorations with PATRIOT to assess the transit reliability across the region of southern Africa.« less

Interdisciplinary Environmental Summer Study Abroad in Southern Africa as a Mechanism for the Development of an International Research and Education Consortium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swap, R. J.; Sabea, H.; Annegarn, H.; Ford, C.; Netshandama-Funyufunyu, V.; Omara-Ojungu, P.; Vaz, K.; Ribeiro, N.; Twine, W.; Terni, C.; Estes, L.

2005-12-01

We describe an interdisciplinary course for non-specialist undergraduates in which the students experience firsthand issues of regional environmental complexity and have the unique opportunity to gain insight into the role the environment plays in shaping the people and culture of southern Africa. Undergraduates receive 3 hours of credit both in Environmental Science and Anthropology for the ``People, Culture and Environment of Southern Africa" study abroad program. The program is an intensive introduction to the physical geography, history and culture of the region and involves an intensive blend of in-class lectures and field trips with daily debriefing discussions. Over the duration of the 30 day program, students are exposed to elements of geology, ecology, hydrology and atmospheric science and how the interconnectedness of these different aspects of the physical environment help shape the history of the people and their culture in the region. Information about logistics and course development as well as to how this summer study abroad program has contributed to the development and expansion of the Southern Africa Virginia Networks and Associations (SAVANA) consortium will be detailed. The program builds upon more than 12 years of relationships between UVA faculty and their southern African colleagues developed during the course of several regional scale research programs with the most recent being the Southern African Regional Science Initiative - SAFARI 2000. Students enrolled with the UVA program are joined by their counterparts and interact with faculty from institutional partners both in the classroom and in the field. Participants operate out of four major locations: Johannesburg, RSA (Univ. of the Witwatersrand); Thohoyondou, RSA (Univ. of Venda); Maputo, MOZ (Univ. of Eduardo Mondlane); and Acornhoek, RSA (Univ. of the Witwatersrand - Rural Facility). Class size is limited to 15 students from UVA and about 6 SAVANA consortium students. This pairing with

Tetanus Cases After Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention - Eastern and Southern Africa, 2012-2015

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-22

Control and Prevention Notes from the Field Tetanus Cases After Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention — Eastern and Southern Africa...the risk for female-to-male HIV transmission by approximately 60% (1), and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is supporting...the scale-up of VMMC for adolescent and adult males in countries with high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV ) and low coverage of male

Histoplasmosis in Africa: An emerging or a neglected disease?

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Histoplasmosis in Africa has markedly increased since the advent of the HIV/AIDS epidemic but is under-recognised. Pulmonary histoplasmosis may be misdiagnosed as tuberculosis (TB). In the last six decades (1952–2017), 470 cases of histoplasmosis have been reported. HIV-infected patients accounted for 38% (178) of the cases. West Africa had the highest number of recorded cases with 179; the majority (162 cases) were caused by Histoplasma capsulatum var. dubuosii (Hcd). From the Southern African region, 150 cases have been reported, and the majority (119) were caused by H. capsulatum var. capsulatum (Hcc). There have been 12 histoplasmin skin test surveys with rates of 0% to 35% positivity. Most cases of Hcd presented as localised lesions in immunocompetent persons; however, it was disseminated in AIDS patients. Rapid diagnosis of histoplasmosis in Africa is only currently possible using microscopy; antigen testing and PCR are not available in most of Africa. Treatment requires amphotericin B and itraconazole, both of which are not licensed or available in several parts of Africa. PMID:29346384

IBFAN Africa training initiatives: code implementation and lactation management.

PubMed

Mbuli, A

1994-01-01

As part of an ongoing effort to halt the decline of breast feeding rates in Africa, 35 representatives of 12 different African countries met in Mangochi, Malawi, in February 1994. The Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes was scrutinized. National codes were drafted based on the "Model Law" of the IBFAN Code Documentation Centre (ICDC), Penang. Mechanisms of implementation, specific to each country, were developed. Strategies for the promotion, protection, and support of breast feeding, which is very important to child survival in Africa, were discussed. The training course was organized by ICDC, in conjunction with IBFAN Africa, and with the support of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Countries in eastern, central, and southern Africa were invited to send participants, who included professors, pediatricians, nutritionists, MCH personnel, nurses, and lawyers. IBFAN Africa has also been conducting lactation management workshops for a number of years in African countries. 26 health personnel (pediatricians, nutritionists, senior nursing personnel, and MCH workers), representing 7 countries in the southern African region, attended a training of trainers lactation management workshop in Swaziland in August, 1993 with the support of their UNICEF country offices. The workshop included lectures, working sessions, discussions, and slide and video presentations. Topics covered included national nutrition statuses, the importance of breast feeding, the anatomy and physiology of breast feeding, breast feeding problems, the International Code of Marketing, counseling skills, and training methods. The field trip to a training course covering primary health care that was run by the Traditional Healers Organization (THO) in Swaziland was of particular interest because of the strong traditional medicine sector in many African countries. IBFAN Africa encourages use of community workers (traditional healers, Rural Health

Genomic history of the seventh pandemic of cholera in Africa.

PubMed

Weill, François-Xavier; Domman, Daryl; Njamkepo, Elisabeth; Tarr, Cheryl; Rauzier, Jean; Fawal, Nizar; Keddy, Karen H; Salje, Henrik; Moore, Sandra; Mukhopadhyay, Asish K; Bercion, Raymond; Luquero, Francisco J; Ngandjio, Antoinette; Dosso, Mireille; Monakhova, Elena; Garin, Benoit; Bouchier, Christiane; Pazzani, Carlo; Mutreja, Ankur; Grunow, Roland; Sidikou, Fati; Bonte, Laurence; Breurec, Sébastien; Damian, Maria; Njanpop-Lafourcade, Berthe-Marie; Sapriel, Guillaume; Page, Anne-Laure; Hamze, Monzer; Henkens, Myriam; Chowdhury, Goutam; Mengel, Martin; Koeck, Jean-Louis; Fournier, Jean-Michel; Dougan, Gordon; Grimont, Patrick A D; Parkhill, Julian; Holt, Kathryn E; Piarroux, Renaud; Ramamurthy, Thandavarayan; Quilici, Marie-Laure; Thomson, Nicholas R

2017-11-10

The seventh cholera pandemic has heavily affected Africa, although the origin and continental spread of the disease remain undefined. We used genomic data from 1070 Vibrio cholerae O1 isolates, across 45 African countries and over a 49-year period, to show that past epidemics were attributable to a single expanded lineage. This lineage was introduced at least 11 times since 1970, into two main regions, West Africa and East/Southern Africa, causing epidemics that lasted up to 28 years. The last five introductions into Africa, all from Asia, involved multidrug-resistant sublineages that replaced antibiotic-susceptible sublineages after 2000. This phylogenetic framework describes the periodicity of lineage introduction and the stable routes of cholera spread, which should inform the rational design of control measures for cholera in Africa. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Update on HIV-1 diversity in Africa: a decade in review.

PubMed

Lihana, Raphael W; Ssemwanga, Deogratius; Abimiku, Alash'le; Ndembi, Nicaise

2012-01-01

HIV-1 strains have diversified extensively through mutation and recombination since their initial transmission to human beings many decades ago in Central Africa in the first part of the 20th Century (between 1915 and 1941). The upward trend in global HIV-1 diversity has continued unabated, with newer groups, subtypes, and unique and circulating recombinants increasingly being reported, especially in Africa. In this review, we focus on the extensive diversity of HIV-1 over a decade (2000-2011), in 51 countries of the three African geographic regions (eastern and southern, western and central, and northern Africa) as per the WHO/UNAIDS 2010 classification. References for this review were identified through searches of PubMed, conference abstracts, Google Scholar, and Springer Online Archives Collection. We retrieved 273 citations, of which 200 reported HIV-1 diversity from Africa from January, 2000 to August, 2011. Articles resulting from these searches and relevant references cited in those articles were reviewed. Articles published in English and French were included. There has been a high diversity of HIV-1 in its epicenter, west-central Africa. A few subtypes, namely, A (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5), C, CRF02_AG, and D accounted for about 85% of new infections. Subtype A and D have been stable in East Africa; C in southern Africa; A, G, CRF02_AG, and CRF06_cpx in western Africa; and subtype B and CRF02_AG in northern Africa. Recently a new putative group, designated P, was reported to be found in two Cameroonians. The regional distributions of individual subtypes and recombinants are broadly stable, although unique/circulating recombinant forms may play an increasing role in the HIV pandemic. Understanding the kinetics and directions of this continuing adaptation and its impact on viral fitness, immunogenicity, and pathogenicity are crucial to the successful design of effective HIV vaccines. There is need for regular monitoring and review updates, such as the one

Understanding linkages between global climate indices and terrestrial water storage changes over Africa using GRACE products.

PubMed

Anyah, R O; Forootan, E; Awange, J L; Khaki, M

2018-09-01

Africa, a continent endowed with huge water resources that sustain its agricultural activities is increasingly coming under threat from impacts of climate extremes (droughts and floods), which puts the very precious water resource into jeopardy. Understanding the relationship between climate variability and water storage over the continent, therefore, is paramount in order to inform future water management strategies. This study employs Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite data and the higher order (fourth order cumulant) statistical independent component analysis (ICA) method to study the relationship between terrestrial water storage (TWS) changes and five global climate-teleconnection indices; El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) over Africa for the period 2003-2014. Pearson correlation analysis is applied to extract the connections between these climate indices (CIs) and TWS, from which some known strong CI-rainfall relationships (e.g., over equatorial eastern Africa) are found. Results indicate unique linear-relationships and regions that exhibit strong linkages between CIs and TWS. Moreover, unique regions having strong CI-TWS connections that are completely different from the typical ENSO-rainfall connections over eastern and southern Africa are also identified. Furthermore, the results indicate that the first dominant independent components (IC) of the CIs are linked to NAO, and are characterized by significant reductions of TWS over southern Africa. The second dominant ICs are associated with IOD and are characterized by significant increases in TWS over equatorial eastern Africa, while the combined ENSO and MJO are apparently linked to the third ICs, which are also associated with significant increase in TWS changes over both southern Africa, as well as equatorial eastern Africa. Copyright © 2018

Distributions of trace gases and aerosols during the dry biomass burning season in southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, Parikhit; Hobbs, Peter V.; Yokelson, Robert J.; Blake, Donald R.; Gao, Song; Kirchstetter, Thomas W.

2003-09-01

Vertical profiles in the lower troposphere of temperature, relative humidity, sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), condensation nuclei (CN), and carbon monoxide (CO), and horizontal distributions of twenty gaseous and particulate species, are presented for five regions of southern Africa during the dry biomass burning season of 2000. The regions are the semiarid savannas of northeast South Africa and northern Botswana, the savanna-forest mosaic of coastal Mozambique, the humid savanna of southern Zambia, and the desert of western Namibia. The highest average concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), CO, methane (CH4), O3, black particulate carbon, and total particulate carbon were in the Botswana and Zambia sectors (388 and 392 ppmv, 369 and 453 ppbv, 1753 and 1758 ppbv, 79 and 88 ppbv, 2.6 and 5.5 μg m-3, and 13.2 and 14.3 μg m-3). This was due to intense biomass burning in Zambia and surrounding regions. The South Africa sector had the highest average concentrations of SO2, sulfate particles, and CN (5.1 ppbv, 8.3 μg m-3, and 6400 cm-3, respectively), which derived from biomass burning and electric generation plants and mining operations within this sector. Air quality in the Mozambique sector was similar to the neighboring South Africa sector. Over the arid Namibia sector there were polluted layers aloft, in which average SO2, O3, and CO mixing ratios (1.2 ppbv, 76 ppbv, and 310 ppbv, respectively) were similar to those measured over the other more polluted sectors. This was due to transport of biomass smoke from regions of widespread savanna burning in southern Angola. Average concentrations over all sectors of CO2 (386 ± 8 ppmv), CO (261 ± 81 ppbv), SO2 (2.5 ± 1.6 ppbv), O3 (64 ± 13 ppbv), black particulate carbon (2.3 ± 1.9 μg m-3), organic particulate carbon (6.2 ± 5.2 μg m-3), total particle mass (26.0 ± 4.7 μg m-3), and potassium particles (0.4 ± 0.1 μg m-3) were comparable to those in polluted, urban air. Since the majority of the measurements

AZT Impairs Immunological Recovery on First-line ART: Collaborative analysis of cohort studies in Southern Africa

PubMed Central

WANDELER, Gilles; GSPONER, Thomas; MULENGA, Lloyd; GARONE, Daniela; WOOD, Robin; MASKEW, Mhairi; PROZESKY, Hans; HOFFMANN, Christopher; EHMER, Jochen; DICKINSON, Diana; DAVIES, Mary-Ann; EGGER, Matthias; KEISER, Olivia

2013-01-01

Objectives Zidovudine (AZT) is recommended for first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in resource limited settings. AZT may, however, lead to anemia and impaired immunological response. We compared CD4 counts over 5 years between patients starting ART with and without AZT in Southern Africa. Design Cohort study Methods Patients aged ≥16 years who started first-line ART in South Africa, Botswana, Zambia or Lesotho were included. We used linear mixed-effect models to compare CD4 cell count trajectories between patients on AZT-containing regimens and patients on other regimens, censoring follow-up at first treatment change. Impaired immunological recovery, defined as a CD4 count below 100 cells/μl at 1 year, was assessed in logistic regression. Analyses were adjusted for baseline CD4 count and haemoglobin level, age, gender, type of regimen, viral load monitoring and calendar year. Results 72,597 patients starting ART, including 19,758 (27.2%) on AZT, were analysed. Patients on AZT had higher CD4 cell counts (150 vs.128 cells/μl) and haemoglobin level (12.0 vs. 11.0 g/dl) at baseline, and were less likely to be female than those on other regimens. Adjusted differences in CD4 counts between regimens containing and not containing AZT were −16 cells/μl (95% CI −18 to −14) at 1 year and −56 cells/μl (95% CI −59 to −52) at 5 years. Impaired immunological recovery was more likely with AZT compared to other regimens (odds ratio 1.40, 95% CI 1.22–1.61). Conclusions In Southern Africa AZT is associated with inferior immunological recovery compared to other backbones. Replacing AZT with another NRTI could avoid unnecessary switches to second-line ART. PMID:23660577

The SASSCAL contribution to climate observation, climate data management and data rescue in Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaspar, F.; Helmschrot, J.; Mhanda, A.; Butale, M.; de Clercq, W.; Kanyanga, J. K.; Neto, F. O. S.; Kruger, S.; Castro Matsheka, M.; Muche, G.; Hillmann, T.; Josenhans, K.; Posada, R.; Riede, J.; Seely, M.; Ribeiro, C.; Kenabatho, P.; Vogt, R.; Jürgens, N.

2015-07-01

A major task of the newly established "Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management" (SASSCAL; www.sasscal.org) and its partners is to provide science-based environmental information and knowledge which includes the provision of consistent and reliable climate data for Southern Africa. Hence, SASSCAL, in close cooperation with the national weather authorities of Angola, Botswana, Germany and Zambia as well as partner institutions in Namibia and South Africa, supports the extension of the regional meteorological observation network and the improvement of the climate archives at national level. With the ongoing rehabilitation of existing weather stations and the new installation of fully automated weather stations (AWS), altogether 105 AWS currently provide a set of climate variables at 15, 30 and 60 min intervals respectively. These records are made available through the SASSCAL WeatherNet, an online platform providing near-real time data as well as various statistics and graphics, all in open access. This effort is complemented by the harmonization and improvement of climate data management concepts at the national weather authorities, capacity building activities and an extension of the data bases with historical climate data which are still available from different sources. These activities are performed through cooperation between regional and German institutions and will provide important information for climate service related activities.

Diversification in an Afro-Asian songbird clade (Erythropygia-Copsychus) reveals founder-event speciation via trans-oceanic dispersals and a southern to northern colonization pattern in Africa.

PubMed

Voelker, Gary; Peñalba, Joshua V; Huntley, Jerry W; Bowie, Rauri C K

2014-04-01

Erythropygia scrub-robins and their allies are distributed throughout Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, India, Madagascar and the Seychelles. This broad distribution, as well as the distribution of Erythropygia taxa across Africa, presents an interesting opportunity to explore the mechanisms by which this biogeographic distribution was achieved. Multilocus sequence data (3310 base pairs from two mitochondrial and two nuclear genes) were generated for all species of Erythropygia and Cercotrichas scrub-robins, as well as from genera previously shown to render Erythropygia paraphyletic. Using model-based phylogenetic methods and molecular clock dating, we constructed a time-calibrated molecular phylogenetic hypothesis for the lineage. Ancestral area reconstructions were performed on the phylogeny using probabilistic approaches implemented in LaGrange and BioGeoBEARS. Our results confirm that Erythropygia is not monophyletic, and that one of the two Erythropygia clades is more closely related to a clade of Asian and Indian Ocean islands distributed species. Overall, the Erythropygia and allies clade originated in Africa in the late Miocene c. 6.9 Ma. Subsequently, a number of overwater dispersals occurred to include an initial colonization of Southeast Asia, and an ensuing progression of colonizations from Southeast Asia to the Seychelles, from there to Madagascar, and from these Indian Ocean islands back to Southeast Asia. Within the two clades of Erythropygia, ancestral area reconstructions within Africa indicate a Southern Africa origin, with subsequent lineage divergence in each clade indicating northward colonization. Overall, this clade of non-migratory songbirds shows a remarkable number of trans-oceanic colonization events, that were possibly facilitated by wind-driven dispersal; repeated Africa to Asia colonizations, two of which occur in this clade, are exceptionally rare in birds. Also rare is our finding that colonization patterns in Africa indicate a

The Arabian Cradle: Mitochondrial Relicts of the First Steps along the Southern Route out of Africa

PubMed Central

Fernandes, Verónica; Alshamali, Farida; Alves, Marco; Costa, Marta D.; Pereira, Joana B.; Silva, Nuno M.; Cherni, Lotfi; Harich, Nourdin; Cerny, Viktor; Soares, Pedro; Richards, Martin B.; Pereira, Luísa

2012-01-01

A major unanswered question regarding the dispersal of modern humans around the world concerns the geographical site of the first human steps outside of Africa. The “southern coastal route” model predicts that the early stages of the dispersal took place when people crossed the Red Sea to southern Arabia, but genetic evidence has hitherto been tenuous. We have addressed this question by analyzing the three minor west-Eurasian haplogroups, N1, N2, and X. These lineages branch directly from the first non-African founder node, the root of haplogroup N, and coalesce to the time of the first successful movement of modern humans out of Africa, ∼60 thousand years (ka) ago. We sequenced complete mtDNA genomes from 85 Southwest Asian samples carrying these haplogroups and compared them with a database of 300 European examples. The results show that these minor haplogroups have a relict distribution that suggests an ancient ancestry within the Arabian Peninsula, and they most likely spread from the Gulf Oasis region toward the Near East and Europe during the pluvial period 55–24 ka ago. This pattern suggests that Arabia was indeed the first staging post in the spread of modern humans around the world. PMID:22284828

Estimating probabilistic rainfall and food security outcomes for eastern and southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verdin, J.; Funk, C.; Dettinger, M.; Brown, M.

2009-05-01

Since 1980, the number of undernourished people in eastern and southern Africa has more than doubled. Rural development stalled and rural poverty expanded during the 1990s. Population growth remains high, and declining per-capita agricultural capacity retards development. In September of 2008, Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, and Somalia faced high or extreme conditions of food insecurity caused by repeated droughts and rapid food price inflation. In this talk we present research, performed for the US Agency for International Development on probabilistic projections of rainfall and food security trends for eastern and southern Africa. Analyses of station data and satellite-based estimates of precipitation have identified another problematic trend: main growing- season rainfall has diminished by ~15% in food-insecure countries clustered along the western rim of the Indian Ocean. Occurring during the main growing seasons in poor countries dependent on rain-fed agriculture, these declines constitute a long term danger to subsistence agricultural and pastoral livelihoods. Tracing moisture deficits upstream to an anthropogenically-induced warming Indian Ocean leads us to conclude that further rainfall declines are likely. We present analyses suggesting that warming in the central Indian Ocean disrupts onshore moisture transports, reducing continental rainfall. Thus, late 20th century Indian Ocean warming has probably already produced societally dangerous climate change by creating drought and social disruption in some of the world's most fragile food economies. We quantify the potential impacts of the observed precipitation and agricultural capacity trends by modeling millions of undernourished people as a function of rainfall, population, cultivated area, and seed and fertilizer use. Persistence of current trends may result in a 50% increase in undernourished people. On the other hand, modest increases in per-capita agricultural productivity could more than offset the

Africa.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Happel, Sue; Loeb, Joyce

Although the activities in this unit are designed primarily for students in the intermediate grades, the document's text, illustrations, and bibliographic references are suitable for anyone interested in learning about Africa. Following a brief introduction and map work, the document is arranged into six sections. Section 1 traces Africa's history…

Neurosyphilis in Africa: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Jarvis, Joseph N.; Howlett, William; Mabey, David C. W.

2017-01-01

and Southern Africa continue to report cases of late stage syphilis, including tabes dorsalis and neurosyphilis, in association with ocular disease. Discussion This is the first systematic review of the literature on neurosyphilis in Africa since the beginning of the HIV epidemic. Neurosyphilis continues to be reported as a manifestation of both early and late syphilis, but the methodological quality of the majority of the included studies was poor. Future well-designed prospective studies are needed to better delineate the incidence and clinical spectrum of neurosyphilis in Africa and to better define interactions with HIV in this setting. PMID:28859081

Neurosyphilis in Africa: A systematic review.

PubMed

Marks, Michael; Jarvis, Joseph N; Howlett, William; Mabey, David C W

2017-08-01

Neurological involvement is one of the most important clinical manifestations of syphilis and neurological disease occurs in both early and late syphilis. The impact of HIV co-infection on clinical neurosyphilis remains unclear. The highest prevalence of both syphilis and HIV is in Africa. Therefore it might be expected that neurosyphilis would be an important and not uncommon manifestation of syphilis in Africa and frequently occur in association with HIV co-infection; yet few data are available on neurosyphilis in Africa. The aim of this study is to review data on neurosyphilis in Africa since the onset of the HIV epidemic. We searched the literature for references on neurosyphilis in Africa for studies published between the 1st of January 1990 and 15th February 2017. We included case reports, case series, and retrospective and prospective cohort and case-control studies. We did not limit inclusion based on the diagnostic criteria used for neurosyphilis. For retrospective and prospective cohorts, we calculated the proportion of study participants who were diagnosed with neurosyphilis according to the individual study criteria. Depending on the study, we assessed the proportion of patients with syphilis found to have neurosyphilis, and the proportion of patients with neurological syndromes who had neurosyphilis. Due to heterogeneity of data no formal pooling of the data or meta-analysis was undertaken. Amongst patients presenting with a neurological syndrome, three studies of patients with meningitis were identified; neurosyphilis was consistently reported to cause approximately 3% of all cases. Three studies on stroke reported mixed findings but were limited due to the small number of patients undergoing CSF examination, whilst neurosyphilis continued to be reported as a common cause of dementia in studies from North Africa. Ten studies reported on cases of neurosyphilis amongst patients known to have syphilis. Studies from both North and Southern Africa continue

The Damara in the context of Southern Africa fat-tailed sheep breeds.

PubMed

Almeida, André Martinho

2011-10-01

Sheep production is one of the most important activities in animal production in tropical regions. Southern Africa (SA) fat-tailed sheep such as the Afrikaner, Namaqua Afrikaner, Nguni, Persian Black Head, Tswana, Pedi, Sabi, and particularly the Damara are important animal genetic resources very well adapted to their harsh home environments. In this review, autochthonous sheep genetic resources of SA are reviewed regarding history and productive performance. A special focus is made to the most internationalized of such breeds: the Damara. The following aspects are reviewed: history, standards, productive performance in SA, and importation to Australia. Finally, a reference is made to the influence of fat-tailed sheep formation of composite breeds such as the Dorper or the Meatmaster.

Controlling aflatoxins in maize in Africa: strategies, challenges and opportunities for improvement

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Maize (Zea mays) is the most important food staple in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), accounting for up to 70% of the total human calorific intake (Byerlee and Hiesey, 1996; Martin et al., 2000). In southern Africa, per capita annual consumption of maize remains well over 100 kg, with countries such as Ma...

Modelled rainfall skill assessment against a 1000-year time/space isotope dendro-climatology for southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodborne, Stephan; Hall, Grant; Zhang, Qiong

2016-04-01

Palaeoclimate reconstruction using isotopic analysis of tree growth increments has yielded a 1000-year record of rainfall variability in southern Africa. Isotope dendro-climatology reconstructions from baobab trees (Adansonia digitata) provide evidence for rainfall variability from the arid Namib Desert and the Limpopo River Valley. Isotopic analysis of a museum specimen of a yellowwood tree (Podocarps falcatus) yields another record from the southwestern part of the subcontinent. Combined with the limited classic denro-climatologies available in the region these records yield palaeo-rainfall variability in the summer and winter rainfall zones as well as the hyper-arid zone over the last 1000 years. Coherent shifts in all of the records indicate synoptic changes in the westerlies, the inter-tropical convergence zone, and the Congo air boundary. The most substantial rainfall shift takes place at about 1600 CE at the onset of the Little Ice Age. Another distinctive feature of the record is a widespread phenomenon that occurs shortly after 1810 CE that in southern Africa corresponds with a widespread social upheaval known as the Difequane or Mfekane. Large scale forcing of the system includes sea-surface temperatures in the Agulhas Current, the El Nino Southern Oscillation and the Southern Annular Mode. The Little Ice Age and Mfekane climate shifts result from different forcing mechanisms, and the rainfall response in the different regions at these times do not have a fixed phase relationship. This complexity provides a good scenario to test climate models. A first order (wetter versus drier) comparison between each of the tree records and a 1000-year palaeoclimate model simulation for the Little Ice Age and Mfekane transitions demonstrates a generally good correspondence.

Prediction, Assessment of the Rift Valley fever Activity in East and Southern Africa 2006 - 2008 and Possible Vector Control Strategies

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Historical outbreaks of Rift Valley fever (RVF) since the early 1950s have been associated with cyclical patterns of the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon which results in elevated and widespread rainfall over the RVF endemic areas of Africa. Using satellite measurements of global and ...

Carnivoran Remains from the Malapa Hominin Site, South Africa

PubMed Central

Kuhn, Brian F.; Werdelin, Lars; Hartstone-Rose, Adam; Lacruz, Rodrigo S.; Berger, Lee R.

2011-01-01

Recent discoveries at the new hominin-bearing deposits of Malapa, South Africa, have yielded a rich faunal assemblage associated with the newly described hominin taxon Australopithecus sediba. Dating of this deposit using U-Pb and palaeomagnetic methods has provided an age of 1.977 Ma, being one of the most accurately dated, time constrained deposits in the Plio-Pleistocene of southern Africa. To date, 81 carnivoran specimens have been identified at this site including members of the families Canidae, Viverridae, Herpestidae, Hyaenidae and Felidae. Of note is the presence of the extinct taxon Dinofelis cf. D. barlowi that may represent the last appearance date for this species. Extant large carnivores are represented by specimens of leopard (Panthera pardus) and brown hyaena (Parahyaena brunnea). Smaller carnivores are also represented, and include the genera Atilax and Genetta, as well as Vulpes cf. V. chama. Malapa may also represent the first appearance date for Felis nigripes (Black-footed cat). The geochronological age of Malapa and the associated hominin taxa and carnivoran remains provide a window of research into mammalian evolution during a relatively unknown period in South Africa and elsewhere. In particular, the fauna represented at Malapa has the potential to elucidate aspects of the evolution of Dinofelis and may help resolve competing hypotheses about faunal exchange between East and Southern Africa during the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene. PMID:22073222

Carnivoran remains from the Malapa hominin site, South Africa.

PubMed

Kuhn, Brian F; Werdelin, Lars; Hartstone-Rose, Adam; Lacruz, Rodrigo S; Berger, Lee R

2011-01-01

Recent discoveries at the new hominin-bearing deposits of Malapa, South Africa, have yielded a rich faunal assemblage associated with the newly described hominin taxon Australopithecus sediba. Dating of this deposit using U-Pb and palaeomagnetic methods has provided an age of 1.977 Ma, being one of the most accurately dated, time constrained deposits in the Plio-Pleistocene of southern Africa. To date, 81 carnivoran specimens have been identified at this site including members of the families Canidae, Viverridae, Herpestidae, Hyaenidae and Felidae. Of note is the presence of the extinct taxon Dinofelis cf. D. barlowi that may represent the last appearance date for this species. Extant large carnivores are represented by specimens of leopard (Panthera pardus) and brown hyaena (Parahyaena brunnea). Smaller carnivores are also represented, and include the genera Atilax and Genetta, as well as Vulpes cf. V. chama. Malapa may also represent the first appearance date for Felis nigripes (Black-footed cat). The geochronological age of Malapa and the associated hominin taxa and carnivoran remains provide a window of research into mammalian evolution during a relatively unknown period in South Africa and elsewhere. In particular, the fauna represented at Malapa has the potential to elucidate aspects of the evolution of Dinofelis and may help resolve competing hypotheses about faunal exchange between East and Southern Africa during the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene.

Semivolatile Particulate Organic Material Southern Africa during SAFARI 2000

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eatough, D. J.; Eatough, N. L.; Pang, Y.; Sizemore, S.; Kirchstetter, T. W.; Novakov, T.

2005-01-01

During August and September 2000, the University of Washington's Cloud and Aerosol Research Group (CARG) with its Convair-580 research aircraft participated in the Southern African Fire-Atmosphere Research Initiative (SAFARI) 2000 field study in southern Africa. Aboard this aircraft was a Particle Concentrator-Brigham Young University Organic Sampling System (PC-BOSS), which was used to determine semivolatile particulate material with a diffusion denuder sampler. Denuded quartz filters and sorbent beds in series were used to measure nonvolatile and semivolatile materials, respectively. Results obtained with the PC-BOSS are compared to those obtained with conventional quartz-quartz and Teflon-quartz filter pack samplers. Various 10-120 min integrated samples were collected during flights through the h e troposphere, in the atmospheric boundary layer, and in plumes from savanna fires. Significant fine particulate semivolatile organic compounds (SVOC) were found in all samples. The SVOC was not collected by conventional filter pack samplers and therefore would not have been determined in previous studies that used only filter pack samplers. The SVOC averaged 24% of the fine particulate mass in emissions from the fires and 36% of the fine particulate mass in boundary layer samples heavily impacted by aged emissions from savanna fires. Concentrations of fine particulate material in the atmospheric mixed layer heavily impacted by aged savanna frre emissions averaged 130 micrograms per cubic meter. This aerosol was 85% carbonaceous mated.

Opportunities for the power industry in South Africa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lynch, R.W.; Pinkney, C.; Feld, L.

1996-11-01

South Africa is a country in the midst of transformation. Political changes within the country, and the ensuing empowerment of the black majority, have created a situation where dramatic improvements are needed in the country`s infrastructure in order to enable it to meet the needs of all its people over the coming decades. Largely as a result of the international embargo placed on South Africa during the apartheid era, the South African government became heavily involved in the country`s energy sector. This involvement included development of a synfuels program, price controls in the oil sector, monopolies in both upstream andmore » downstream oil sectors, and a strong centralized electric power company. In 1994, South Africa became the eleventh member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), an organization which was established in 1980 to synchronize development plans for its member countries. SADC is presently working to formulate a regional energy development plan, and coordinate technical information exchanges and joint research needs. Each of the SADC nations have also begun to develop their regional electricity grids and other parts of their energy infrastructure to plan for the growing needs of the 500 million people who live in sub-Saharan Africa. South Africa, in particular, must make significant changes in each of its energy sectors in the near future, to keep up with its growing energy requirements. These changes translate to opportunity for the US Power Industry.« less

Africa.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martz, Carlton

2001-01-01

This publication explores issues related to Africa. It examines the U.S. response to the Barbary pirate states (Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli) in the early 19th century; the current AIDS crisis in Africa; and 14th century Mali and other Islamic lands through the eyes of Ibn Battuta, who traveled throughout the Muslim world. Each article…

Seasonal and interannual variations in CO and BC emissions from open biomass burning in Southern Africa during 1998-2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, Akinori; Ito, Akihiko; Akimoto, Hajime

2007-06-01

We estimate the emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and black carbon (BC) from open vegetation fires in the Southern Hemisphere Africa from 1998 to 2005 using satellite information in conjunction with a biogeochemical model. Monthly burned areas at a 0.5-degree resolution are estimated from the Visible InfraRed Scanner (VIRS) fire count product and the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) burned area data set associated with the MODIS tree cover imagery in grasslands and woodlands. The monthly fuel load distributions are derived from a 0.5-degree terrestrial carbon cycle model in conjunction with satellite data. The monthly maps of combustion factors and emission factors are estimated using empirical models that predict the effects of fuel conditions on these factors in grasslands and woodlands. Our annually averaged effective CO and BC emissions per area burned are 27 g CO m-2 and 0.17 g BC m-2 which are consistent with the products of fuel consumption and emission factors typically measured in southern Africa. The CO and BC emissions from open vegetation burning in southern Africa range from 45 Tg CO yr-1 and 0.26 Tg BC yr-1 for 2002 to 75 Tg CO yr-1 and 0.42 Tg BC yr-1 for 1998. The monthly averaged burned areas from VIRS fire counts peak earlier than modeled CO emissions. This characteristic delay between burned areas and emissions is mainly explained by significant changes in combustion factors for woodlands in our model. Consequently, the peaks in CO and BC emissions from our bottom-up approach are identical to those from previous top-down estimates using the Measurement Of the Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT) and the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) Aerosol Index (AI) data.

Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision: Modeling the Impact and Cost of Expanding Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention in Eastern and Southern Africa

PubMed Central

Reed, Jason; Opuni, Marjorie; Bollinger, Lori; Heard, Nathan; Castor, Delivette; Stover, John; Farley, Timothy; Menon, Veena; Hankins, Catherine

2011-01-01

Background There is strong evidence showing that voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) reduces HIV incidence in men. To inform the VMMC policies and goals of 13 priority countries in eastern and southern Africa, we estimate the impact and cost of scaling up adult VMMC using updated, country-specific data. Methods and Findings We use the Decision Makers' Program Planning Tool (DMPPT) to model the impact and cost of scaling up adult VMMC in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Nyanza Province in Kenya. We use epidemiologic and demographic data from recent household surveys for each country. The cost of VMMC ranges from US$65.85 to US$95.15 per VMMC performed, based on a cost assessment of VMMC services aligned with the World Health Organization's considerations of models for optimizing volume and efficiencies. Results from the DMPPT models suggest that scaling up adult VMMC to reach 80% coverage in the 13 countries by 2015 would entail performing 20.34 million circumcisions between 2011 and 2015 and an additional 8.42 million between 2016 and 2025 (to maintain the 80% coverage). Such a scale-up would result in averting 3.36 million new HIV infections through 2025. In addition, while the model shows that this scale-up would cost a total of US$2 billion between 2011 and 2025, it would result in net savings (due to averted treatment and care costs) amounting to US$16.51 billion. Conclusions This study suggests that rapid scale-up of VMMC in eastern and southern Africa is warranted based on the likely impact on the region's HIV epidemics and net savings. Scaling up of safe VMMC in eastern and southern Africa will lead to a substantial reduction in HIV infections in the countries and lower health system costs through averted HIV care costs. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary. PMID:22140367

Social and Economic Change in Southern Africa. Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Abroad Program, Summer 1991. [Curriculum Projects and Papers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Institute of International Education, New York, NY.

This document presents curriculum projects and papers written by U.S. teachers who traveled to countries in Southern Africa in the summer of 1991 as part of the Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Abroad Program. The included projects and papers are: "Through a Glass Darkly: The Enigmatic Educational System of Botswana" (Alan C. Howard);…

Regional fuel load modeled for two contrasting years in central and southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hely, C.; Dowty, P. R.; Alleaume, S.; Caylor, K. K.; Shugart, H. H.

2001-12-01

Fuel load has been modeled for southern hemisphere Africa for the 1991-92 and 1999-2000 growing seasons. The 1991-92 year was generally dry due to a strong El Nino event in contrast to the particularly wet year of 1999-2000. The method integrates site-level process modeling with 15 day AVHRR NDVI data. The site model was used to simulate landscape light-use efficiency (LUE) at a series of sites in the Kalahari region ranging from evergreen woodland to arid shrubland. This site-level LUE is extrapolated over the southern African region with gridded tree cover data and gridded rainfall. The predicted net primary production (NPP) is allocated into the different fuel types (grass, litter, twigs) using empirical based relationships. The model results are compared with field measurements of fuel load at a number of sites. The results will be used for modeling of biomass burning emissions.

Palaeoclimatic conditions in the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic of southern Africa: A geochemical assessment of the Elliot Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sciscio, Lara; Bordy, Emese M.

2016-07-01

The Triassic-Jurassic boundary marks a global faunal turnover event that is generally considered as the third largest of five major biological crises in the Phanerozoic geological record of Earth. Determining the controlling factors of this event and their relative contributions to the biotic turnover associated with it is on-going globally. The Upper Triassic and Lower Jurassic rock record of southern Africa presents a unique opportunity for better constraining how and why the biosphere was affected at this time not only because the succession is richly fossiliferous, but also because it contains important palaeoenvironmental clues. Using mainly sedimentary geochemical proxies (i.e., major, trace and rare earth elements), our study is the first quantitative assessment of the palaeoclimatic conditions during the deposition of the Elliot Formation, a continental red bed succession that straddles the Triassic-Jurassic boundary in southern Africa. Employing clay mineralogy as well as the indices of chemical alteration and compositional variability, our results confirm earlier qualitative sedimentological studies and indicate that the deposition of the Upper Triassic and Lower Jurassic Elliot Formation occurred under increasingly dry environmental conditions that inhibited chemical weathering in this southern part of Pangea. Moreover, the study questions the universal validity of those studies that suggest a sudden increase in humidity for the Lower Jurassic record and supports predictions of long-term global warming after continental flood basalt emplacement.

Review of the status and control of foot and mouth disease in sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Vosloo, W; Bastos, A D S; Sangare, O; Hargreaves, S K; Thomson, G R

2002-12-01

Six of the seven serotypes of foot and mouth disease (FMD) virus (i.e. all but Asia 1) are prevalent in Africa although there are marked regional differences in distribution. Three of these serotypes are unique to Africa, namely the three South African Territories (SAT) serotypes. Serotype C may also now be confined to Africa because it has not been reported elsewhere recently. In southern Africa at least, the SAT serotypes have an intimate and probably ancient association with African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) that is instrumental in their maintenance. Within each of the six prevalent serotypes, with the possible exception of C, there are a number of different lineages with more or less defined distributions (i.e. topotypes) that in some cases are sufficiently immunologically different from one another to require specific vaccines to ensure efficient control. This immunological diversity in prevalent serotypes and topotypes, in addition to uncontrolled animal movement in most parts of the continent, render FMD difficult to control in present circumstances. This fact, together with poorly developed intercontinental trade in animals and animal products has resulted in the control of FMD being afforded a low priority in most parts of the continent, although the northern and southern regions of the continent are an exception. As a consequence, eradication of FMD from Africa as a whole is not a prospect within the foreseeable future. In southern Africa, the use of fencing and other means to strictly control the movement of wildlife and livestock as well as judicious application of vaccine has resulted in countries of the region being able to access beef and other livestock markets in Europe and elsewhere in the developed world. Significant marketing of livestock and livestock products from Africa outside the continent is unlikely to be achieved unless similar approaches can be developed for other regions of Africa. This will result in continuing under-exploitation of a

Globalization and occupational health: a perspective from southern Africa.

PubMed Central

Loewenson, R.

2001-01-01

Increased world trade has generally benefited industrialized or strong economies and marginalized those that are weak. This paper examines the impact of globalization on employment trends and occupational health, drawing on examples from southern Africa. While the share of world trade to the world's poorest countries has decreased, workers in these countries increasingly find themselves in insecure, poor-quality jobs, sometimes involving technologies which are obsolete or banned in industrialized countries. The occupational illness which results is generally less visible and not adequately recognized as a problem in low-income countries. Those outside the workplace can also be affected through, for example, work-related environmental pollution and poor living conditions. In order to reduce the adverse effects of global trade reforms on occupational health, stronger social protection measures must be built into production and trade activities, including improved recognition, prevention, and management of work-related ill-health. Furthermore, the success of production and trade systems should be judged on how well they satisfy both economic growth and population health. PMID:11584735

The cost benefit and efficiency of waste water treatment using domestic ponds—the ultimate solution in Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ntengwe, F. W.

Wastewater treatment has become a challenge to most countries in Southern Africa because of the fluctuating economies that have been hit by high levels of debts. The treatment of domestic wastewater using ponds, if carefully utilized, as has been observed in most countries in the world, is the most cost effective means of handling wastewaters. When compared to the conventional use of treatment plants, the ponds have been observed to be the ultimate solution for the countries in Southern Africa especially those that are classified as Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) because of little or no operating costs associated with the treatment. The study conducted on Kitwe Waste Water Treatment Ponds to evaluate the cost benefit and efficiencies has revealed low levels of operating cost and high removal efficiencies of oxygen demanding wastes (BOD removal of 86% and TSS removal of 75%), pH values ranged from 7 to 8 indicating an increasing alkalinity from facultative to maturation ponds while other parameters such as nitrates, phosphates and temperature were found to be within acceptable levels thereby releasing effluent that makes the environment sustainable. The overall social benefit was found to be much higher than the operating costs.

Towards a gender perspective in qualitative research on voluntary medical male circumcision in east and southern Africa.

PubMed

Martínez Pérez, Guillermo; Triviño Durán, Laura; Gasch, Angel; Desmond, Nicole

2015-01-01

The World Health Organization endorsed voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) in 2007 as an effective method to provide partial protection against heterosexual female-to-male transmission of HIV in regions with high rates of such transmission, and where uptake of VMMC is low. Qualitative research conducted in east and southern Africa has focused on assessing acceptability, barriers to uptake of VMMC and the likelihood of VMMC increasing men's adoption of risky sexual behaviours. Less researched, however, have been the perceptions of women and sexual minorities towards VMMC, even though they are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS transmission than are heterosexual men. The purpose of this paper is to identify core areas in which a gendered perspective in qualitative research might improve the understanding and framing of VMMC in east and southern Africa. Issues explored in this analysis are risk compensation, the post-circumcision appearance of the penis, inclusion of men who have sex with men as study respondents and the antagonistic relation between VMMC and female genital cutting. If biomedical and social science researchers explore these issues in future qualitative inquiry utilising a gendered perspective, a more thorough understanding of VMMC can be achieved, which could ultimately inform policy and implementation.

Terrorism in South Africa.

PubMed

MacFarlane, Campbell

2003-01-01

The Republic of South Africa lies at the southern tip of the African continent. The population encompasses a variety of races, ethnic groups, religions, and cultural identities. The country has had a turbulent history from early tribal conflicts, colonialisation, the apartheid period, and post-apartheid readjustment. Modern terrorism developed mainly during the apartheid period, both by activities of the state and by the liberation movements that continued to the time of the first democratic elections in 1994, which saw South Africa evolve into a fully representative democratic state with equal rights for all. Since 1994, terrorist acts have been criminal-based, evolving in the Cape Town area to political acts, largely laid at the feet of a predominantly Muslim organisation, People against Gangsterism and Drugs, a vigilant organisation allegedly infiltrated by Muslim fundamentalists. Along with this, has been terrorist activities, mainly bombings by disaffected members of white, right-wing groups. In the apartheid era, a Draconian series of laws was enacted to suppress liberation activities. After 1994, most of these were repealed and new legislation was enacted, particularly after the events of 11 September 2001; this legislation allows the government to act against terrorism within the constraints of a democratic system. Disaster management in South Africa has been largely local authority-based, with input from provincial authorities and Civil Defence. After 1994, attempts were made to improve this situation, and national direction was provided. After 11 September 2001, activity was increased and the Disaster Management Act 2002 was brought into effect. This standardized disaster management system at national, provincial, and local levels, also facilites risk assessment and limitation as well as disaster mitigation. The potential still exists for terrorism, mainly from right-wing and Muslim fundamentalist groups, but the new legislation should stimulate disaster

Review of Remote Sensing Needs and Applications in Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Molly E.

2007-01-01

Remote sensing data has had an important role in identifying and responding to inter-annual variations in the African environment during the past three decades. As a largely agricultural region with diverse but generally limited government capacity to acquire and distribute ground observations of rainfall, temperature and other parameters, remote sensing is sometimes the only reliable measure of crop growing conditions in Africa. Thus, developing and maintaining the technical and scientific capacity to analyze and utilize satellite remote sensing data in Africa is critical to augmenting the continent's local weather/climate observation networks as well as its agricultural and natural resource development and management. The report Review of Remote Sensing Needs and Applications in Africa' has as its central goal to recommend to the US Agency for International Development an appropriate approach to support sustainable remote sensing applications at African regional remote sensing centers. The report focuses on "RS applications" to refer to the acquisition, maintenance and archiving, dissemination, distribution, analysis, and interpretation of remote sensing data, as well as the integration of interpreted data with other spatial data products. The report focuses on three primary remote sensing centers: (1) The AGRHYMET Regional Center in Niamey, Niger, created in 1974, is a specialized institute of the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), with particular specialization in science and techniques applied to agricultural development, rural development, and natural resource management. (2) The Regional Centre for Maiming of Resources for Development (RCMRD) in Nairobi, Kenya, established in 1975 under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union), is an intergovernmental organization, with 15 member states from eastern and southern Africa. (3) The

Regional, Continental, and Global Mobility to an Emerging Economy: The Case of South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jenny J.; Sehoole, Chika

2015-01-01

This study examined mobility within the understudied region of southern Africa and particularly, the factors that drive and shape educational migration toward South Africa as a regional, continental, and global destination. Based on a survey administered to international students across seven South African universities, the findings revealed…

Drivers and Dynamics of Global Environmental Change in Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jewitt, Graham; Munishi, Subira; Kunz, Richard; Viola, Paula

2010-05-01

Africa's potential to provide food, fuel, fibre and fodder for future global food and energy security has made it a target for a myriad investors from developed and developing countries alike. In many places, land grants and purchases have led to the establishment of huge monoculture production areas for food, fuel, fibre (maize, sugar cane, jatropha, plantation forestry etc) often preceded by deforestation and large scale utilisation and modification of available water resources. This coupled with the likelihood of rapid urbanisation in Africa over the next forty years and associated impacts linked to the high concentrations of inhabitants utilising and ultimately degrading available natural resources (e.g. wood for charcoal; water quality) have made Africa's ecosystems and people amongst the most vulnerable to global environmental change. Key questions that arise are how available scientific knowledge can best be utilized to reduce this vulnerability, where key gaps in knowledge in understanding the inter-linkages between societal needs and Food- Fibre-Energy-Water supply exist and how to best address the necessary complexity of considering these at different spatial and temporal scales. Drawing on the Ecosystem Goods and Services approach, we present key messages from ongoing research activities in South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique and Tanzania and report on progress in applying management tools and systems to support decision making in these areas where development needs are critical. We also highlight lessons drawn from situations where unintended consequences have resulted from well meaning or politically expedient initiatives linked to large donor or foreign investment schemes, such as "outgrower" programmes, and where major environmental damage and ultimately the permanent loss of productivity of some landscapes has occurred.

Prediction, Assessment of the Rift Valley Fever Activity in East and Southern Africa 2006 - 2008 and Possible Vector Control Strategies

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Historical episodic outbreaks of Rift Valley fever (RVF) since the early 1950s have been associated with cyclical patterns (El Niño and La Niña) of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon which results in elevated and widespread rainfall over the RVF endemic areas of Africa. Using satellite ...

The Southern Hemisphere between 30 and 11 cal. kyr B.P.: a comparison between continental records from Africa, South America and Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sylvestre, F.; Williams, M. A.; Gasse, F.; Chalie, F.; Vincens, A.; David, W.

2006-12-01

The timing and amplitude of climate changes during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Termination I have led to considerable debate around the mechanisms driving the reorganisation of the global climate system and its regional expression. The LGM over the southern tropics and subtropics is still poorly understood and the interpretation of different proxies sometimes appears controversial. Here, we summarise the best, well-dated continental records spanning the interval 30-11 cal. kyr, from Africa south of the equator, Australia and South America. Due to the scarcity of the usable records, we had to decipher several proxies (pollen-inferred vegetation, diatom-inferred lake level, isotopes, sea-surface temperatures SST- in the surrounding oceans) and to consider all existing types of archives (wetlands, lakes, speleothems, (peri)glacial deposits, dunes and aeolian dusts), to characterize as completely as possible, the major features of the climate variability over the three continents. Regional similarities and divergences are pointed out, especially East-West asymmetry linked with oceanic currents and topography. The processes driving the observed temperature and hydrological changes are discussed focusing on the following questions: -How did monsoonal climates in the southern tropics respond to orbital forcing versus other glacial boundary conditions, e.g., sea-surface conditions, during the LGM? Example: several tropical lakes from southern Africa were low during the LGM probably in response to low SST. -How did the convergence zones (e.g. the Intertropical Convergence Zone ITCZ) have migrated through time and why? Example: in South America, LGM dryness in Amazonia has been associated with a southward migration of the ITCZ. -How did the extratropical, winter rainfall domain expand/retreat in response to meridian shifts of the Subtropical Westerly Jet and of the oceanic Subtropical Front, and to latitudinal thermal gradient in the Southern Ocean? Example: in

Private Higher Education in Africa: The Case of Monash South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Setswe, G.

2013-01-01

The aim of this paper was to review the contribution of private institutions to higher education in Africa and use Monash South Africa as a case study. A literature search was conducted to gain perspective on the current situation with respect to private higher education institutions in Africa and how they are perceived in relation to public…

The First Modern Human Dispersals across Africa

PubMed Central

Rito, Teresa; Richards, Martin B.; Fernandes, Verónica; Alshamali, Farida; Cerny, Viktor

2013-01-01

The emergence of more refined chronologies for climate change and archaeology in prehistoric Africa, and for the evolution of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), now make it feasible to test more sophisticated models of early modern human dispersals suggested by mtDNA distributions. Here we have generated 42 novel whole-mtDNA genomes belonging to haplogroup L0, the most divergent clade in the maternal line of descent, and analysed them alongside the growing database of African lineages belonging to L0’s sister clade, L1’6. We propose that the last common ancestor of modern human mtDNAs (carried by “mitochondrial Eve”) possibly arose in central Africa ~180 ka, at a time of low population size. By ~130 ka two distinct groups of anatomically modern humans co-existed in Africa: broadly, the ancestors of many modern-day Khoe and San populations in the south and a second central/eastern African group that includes the ancestors of most extant worldwide populations. Early modern human dispersals correlate with climate changes, particularly the tropical African “megadroughts” of MIS 5 (marine isotope stage 5, 135–75 ka) which paradoxically may have facilitated expansions in central and eastern Africa, ultimately triggering the dispersal out of Africa of people carrying haplogroup L3 ~60 ka. Two south to east migrations are discernible within haplogroup LO. One, between 120 and 75 ka, represents the first unambiguous long-range modern human dispersal detected by mtDNA and might have allowed the dispersal of several markers of modernity. A second one, within the last 20 ka signalled by L0d, may have been responsible for the spread of southern click-consonant languages to eastern Africa, contrary to the view that these eastern examples constitute relicts of an ancient, much wider distribution. PMID:24236171

Massive Open Online Courses for Africa by Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oyo, Benedict; Kalema, Billy Mathias

2014-01-01

Africa is known for inadequate access to all sorts of human needs including health, education, food, shelter, transport, security, and energy. Before the emergence of massive open online courses (MOOCs), open access to higher education (HE) was exclusive of Africa. However, as a generally affordable method of post-secondary education delivery,…

Genetic diversity of Afrikaner cattle in southern Africa.

PubMed

Pienaar, Lené; Grobler, J Paul; Scholtz, Michiel M; Swart, Hannelize; Ehlers, Karen; Marx, Munro; MacNeil, Michael D; Neser, Frederick W C

2018-02-01

The Afrikaner is an indigenous South African breed of "Sanga" type beef cattle along with breeds such as the Drakensberger and Nguni. Six composite breeds have been developed from crosses with the Afrikaner. Additionally, Afrikaner has been the base from which exotic breeds were established in South Africa through backcrossing. The study examined genetic diversity of Afrikaner cattle by genotyping 1257 animals from 27 herds in different geographic areas of South Africa and Namibia using 11 microsatellite markers. Multiple-locus assignment, performed using the Bayesian clustering algorithm of STRUCTURE, revealed three underlying genotypic groups. These groups were not geographically localized. Across herds and markers, the proportion of unbiased heterozygosity ranged from 0.49 to 0.72 averaging 0.57; mean number of alleles per locus ranged from 3.18 to 7.09, averaging 4.81; and allelic richness ranged from 2.35 to 3.38, averaging 2.67. It is concluded that a low inbreeding level of 2.7% and a moderate to high degree of variation still persists within the Afrikaner cattle breed, despite the recent decline in numbers of animals.

Precambrian plate tectonic setting of Africa from multidimensional discrimination diagrams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Sanjeet K.

2017-01-01

New multi-dimensional discrimination diagrams have been used to identify plate tectonic setting of Precambrian terrains. For this work, nine sets of new discriminant-function based multi-dimensional discrimination diagrams were applied for thirteen case studies of Precambrian basic, intermediate and acid magmas from Africa to highlight the application of these diagrams and probability calculations. The applications of these diagrams indicated the following results: For northern Africa: to Wadi Ghadir ophiolite, Egypt indicated an arc setting for Neoproterozoic (746 ± 19 Ma). For South Africa: Zandspruit greenstone and Bulai pluton showed a collision and a transitional continental arc to collision setting at about Mesoarchaean and Neoarchaean (3114 ± 2.3 Ma and 2610-2577 Ma); Mesoproterozoic (1109 ± 0.6 Ma and 1100 Ma) ages for Espungabera and Umkondo sills were consistent with an island arc setting. For eastern Africa, Iramba-Sekenke greenstone belt and Suguti area, Tanzania showed an arc setting for Neoarchaean (2742 ± 27 Ma and 2755 ± 1 Ma). Chila, Bulbul-Kenticha domain, and Werri area indicated a continental arc setting at about Neoproterozoic (800-789 Ma); For western Africa, Sangmelima region and Ebolowa area, southern Cameroon indicated a collision and continental arc setting, respectively for Neoarchaean (∼2800-2900 Ma and 2687-2666 Ma); Finally, Paleoproterozoic (2232-2169 Ma) for Birimian supergroup, southern Ghana a continental arc setting; and Paleoproterozoic (2123-2108 Ma) for Katiola-Marabadiassa, Côte d'Ivoire a transitional continental arc to collision setting. Although there were some inconsistencies in the inferences, most cases showed consistent results of tectonic settings. These inconsistencies may be related to mixed ages, magma mixing, crustal contamination, degree of mantle melting, and mantle versus crustal origin.

Outcomes of antiretroviral therapy in children in Asia and Africa: a comparative analysis of the IeDEA pediatric multiregional collaboration

PubMed Central

Leroy, Valeriane; Malateste, Karen; Rabie, Helena; Lumbiganon, Pagakrong; Ayaya, Samuel; Dicko, Fatoumata; Davies, Mary-Ann; Kariminia, Azar; Wools-Kaloustian, Kara; Aka, Edmond; Phiri, Samuel; Aurpibul, Linda; Yiannoutsos, Constantin; Signaté-Sy, Haby; Mofenson, Lynne; Dabis, François

2013-01-01

Background We investigated 18-month incidence and determinants of death and loss-to-follow-up of children after antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation in a multiregional collaboration in lower-income countries. Methods HIV-infected children (positive PCR <18 months or positive serology ≥18 months) from IeDEA cohorts, <16 years, initiating ART were eligible. A competing risk regression model was used to analyze the independent risk of two failure types: death and loss-to-follow-up (>6 months). Findings Data on 13611 children, from Asia (N=1454), East-Africa (N=3114), Southern-Africa (N=6212) and West-Africa (N=2881) contributed 20,417 person-years of follow-up. At 18 months, the adjusted risk of death was 4.3% in East-Africa, 5.4% in Asia, 5.7% in Southern-Africa and 7.4% in West-Africa (P=0.01). Age<24 months, WHO stage 4, CD4<10%, attending a private sector clinic, larger cohort size and living in West-Africa were independently associated with poorer survival. The adjusted risk of loss-to-follow-up was 4.1% in Asia, 9.0% in Southern-Africa, 14.0% in East-Africa, and 21.8% in West-Africa (P <0.01). Age<12 months, non NNRTI-based ART regimen, WHO stage 4 at ART start, ART initiation after 2005, attending a public sector or a non-urban clinic, having to pay for laboratory tests or antiretroviral drugs, larger cohort size, and living in East or West-Africa were significantly associated with higher loss-to-follow-up. Conclusion Findings differed substantially across regions but raise overall concerns about delayed ART start, low access to free HIV-services for children, and increased workload on program retention in lower-income countries. Universal free access to ART services and innovative approaches are urgently needed to improve pediatric outcomes at program level. PMID:23187940

South-South medical tourism and the quest for health in Southern Africa.

PubMed

Crush, Jonathan; Chikanda, Abel

2015-01-01

Intra-regional South-South medical tourism is a vastly understudied subject despite its significance in many parts of the Global South. This paper takes issue with the conventional notion of South Africa purely as a high-end "surgeon and safari" destination for medical tourists from the Global North. It argues that South-South movement to South Africa for medical treatment is far more significant, numerically and financially, than North-South movement. The general lack of access to medical diagnosis and treatment in SADC countries has led to a growing temporary movement of people across borders to seek help at South African institutions in border towns and in the major cities. These movements are both formal (institutional) and informal (individual) in nature. In some cases, patients go to South Africa for procedures that are not offered in their own countries. In others, patients are referred by doctors and hospitals to South African facilities. But the majority of the movement is motivated by lack of access to basic healthcare at home. The high demand and large informal flow of patients from countries neighbouring South Africa has prompted the South African government to try and formalise arrangements for medical travel to its public hospitals and clinics through inter-country agreements in order to recover the cost of treating non-residents. The danger, for 'disenfranchised' medical tourists who fall outside these agreements, is that medical xenophobia in South Africa may lead to increasing exclusion and denial of treatment. Medical tourism in this region and South-South medical tourism in general are areas that require much additional research. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

U.S. Foreign Policy in Southern Africa

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

Union Carter Foreign Policy - Africa United States Foreign Policy Carter - World View u.s. - Soviet Relatio n s AaSTI’ACT (Cotttl-- reY«aa elde II... International boundarie5 0 I 0 Railway5 SOO Kilometers I SOO Miles •:rce: International Institute for Strate&ic Studies, Stratezk Sur11r...collective actor in international affairs, we are the individual actor in domestic affairs and politics and the receptor-spectator of what we see or think

Increasing behavioral flexibility? New archaeological and ecological approaches to understanding the Howieson's Poort in Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kandel, A. W.; Bolus, M.; Bruch, A. A.; Haidle, M. N.; Hertler, C.; Märker, M.

2012-04-01

The Howieson's Poort (HP) of Southern Africa peaked between 60 and 65 ka and represents a distinct phase of cultural innovation adopted by modern humans during the Middle Stone Age. While researchers generally attribute the rise and fall of the HP to social and environmental causes, neither provides a complete explanation. As patterns at the site level come into focus, large-scale trends explaining the HP expansion remain uncertain. Comparisons with earlier and later cultural phases may provide ways to view the HP phenomenon. The most notable artifacts of the HP lithic industry are standardized, crescent-shaped, backed stone tools called segments that were mounted on wooden shafts in several orientations using mixtures of ground pigment and plant resin to create composite tools such as stone-tipped arrows and spears. The use of ocher, often faceted or striated from grinding and sometimes engraved with geometric patterns, attests to functional and possibly symbolic behavior. Other attributes of the HP include the use of laminar lithic technology to produce blades and a preference for finer grained raw materials. While rare bone tools hint at advanced hunting strategies, other organic finds include geometrically engraved and perforated ostrich eggshell containers and perhaps shell beads, artifacts that serve as markers conveying individual and group status. Analyses of faunal remains supports the possible use of snares and traps, in addition to diverse hunting strategies. Even the sediments testify to changes in behavior that involved the increasing maintenance of living areas. Micromorphological evidence for the construction of bedding layers that were regularly cleaned by burning appears towards the end of the HP. While this combination of behaviors indicates a cultural complexity that did not exist before or after the HP, the reasons for its appearance and the causes of its demise remain unclear. To test the hypotheses of cultural and environmental causality and

The spread of carbapenemase-producing bacteria in Africa: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Manenzhe, Rendani I.; Zar, Heather J.; Nicol, Mark P.; Kaba, Mamadou

2015-01-01

Background Carbapenems are the last line of defence against ever more prevalent MDR Gram-negative bacteria, but their efficacy is threatened worldwide by bacteria that produce carbapenemase enzymes. The epidemiology of bacteria producing carbapenemases has been described in considerable detail in Europe, North America and Asia; however, little is known about their spread and clinical relevance in Africa. Methods We systematically searched in PubMed, EBSCOhost, Web of Science, Scopus, Elsevier Masson Consulte and African Journals Online, international conference proceedings, published theses and dissertations for studies reporting on carbapenemase-producing bacteria in Africa. We included articles published in English or French up to 28 February 2014. We calculated the prevalence of carbapenemase producers only including studies where the total number of isolates tested was at least 30. Results Eighty-three studies were included and analysed. Most studies were conducted in North Africa (74%, 61/83), followed by Southern Africa (12%, 10/83), especially South Africa (90%, 9/10), West Africa (8%, 7/83) and East Africa (6%, 6/83). Carbapenemase-producing bacteria were isolated from humans, the hospital environment and community environmental water samples, but not from animals. The prevalence of carbapenemase-producing isolates in hospital settings ranged from 2.3% to 67.7% in North Africa and from 9% to 60% in sub-Saharan Africa. Conclusions Carbapenemase-producing bacteria have been described in many African countries; however, their prevalence is poorly defined and has not been systematically studied. Antibiotic stewardship and surveillance systems, including molecular detection and genotyping of resistant isolates, should be implemented to monitor and reduce the spread of carbapenemase-producing bacteria. PMID:25261423

Seasonal variations in tuberculosis diagnosis among HIV-positive individuals in Southern Africa: analysis of cohort studies at antiretroviral treatment programmes

PubMed Central

Ballif, Marie; Zürcher, Kathrin; Reid, Stewart E; Boulle, Andrew; Fox, Matthew P; Prozesky, Hans W; Chimbetete, Cleophas; Egger, Matthias; Fenner, Lukas

2018-01-01

Objectives Seasonal variations in tuberculosis diagnoses have been attributed to seasonal climatic changes and indoor crowding during colder winter months. We investigated trends in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) diagnosis at antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes in Southern Africa. Setting Five ART programmes participating in the International Epidemiology Database to Evaluate AIDS in South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Participants We analysed data of 331 634 HIV-positive adults (>15 years), who initiated ART between January 2004 and December 2014. Primary outcome measure We calculated aggregated averages in monthly counts of PTB diagnoses and ART initiations. To account for time trends, we compared deviations of monthly event counts to yearly averages, and calculated correlation coefficients. We used multivariable regressions to assess associations between deviations of monthly ART initiation and PTB diagnosis counts from yearly averages, adjusted for monthly air temperatures and geographical latitude. As controls, we used Kaposi sarcoma and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) diagnoses. Results All programmes showed monthly variations in PTB diagnoses that paralleled fluctuations in ART initiations, with recurrent patterns across 2004–2014. The strongest drops in PTB diagnoses occurred in December, followed by April–May in Zimbabwe and South Africa. This corresponded to holiday seasons, when clinical activities are reduced. We observed little monthly variation in ART initiations and PTB diagnoses in Zambia. Correlation coefficients supported parallel trends in ART initiations and PTB diagnoses (correlation coefficient: 0.28, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.35, P<0.001). Monthly temperatures and latitude did not substantially change regression coefficients between ART initiations and PTB diagnoses. Trends in Kaposi sarcoma and EPTB diagnoses similarly followed changes in ART initiations throughout the year. Conclusions Monthly variations in PTB diagnosis at ART programmes in

Controlling Conflict in Africa

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

attention to conflict management in Africa by the Clinton administration. The president himself visited the continent twice where he spoke out on the... conflict management but created new Africa programs in a range of administrative agencies, e.g. a U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) office for Africa

New radiocarbon dates and the herder occupation at Kasteelberg B, South Africa [NEW RADIOCARBON DATES SHED LIGHT ON THE HERDER OCCUPATION SEQUENCE AT KASTEELBERG B, SOUTH AFRICA

DOE PAGES

Sadr, Karim; Bousman, C. Britt; Brown, Thomas A.; ...

2017-09-20

In this paper, we present that five centuries ago, the first European mariners rounding the Cape of Good Hope encountered Khoekhoe-speaking people who occasionally supplied beef and mutton in return for iron, tobacco, alcohol and other exotic goods. The origin of their livestock, as well as of the Khoekhoen themselves, continues to intrigue academics. We now know the first livestock were introduced from the north and that they reached southern Africa over 2000 years ago (Robbins et al. 2005; Pleurdeau et al. 2012). Y-chromosome E3b1f-M293 (Henn et al. 2008) and lactase persistence allele -14010*C (Macholdt et al. 2014) indicate thatmore » some Khoe-speakers are distantly related through the male lineage to pastoralists in East Africa (Barbieri et al. 2014); a conclusion that is supported by linguists who locate the origins of proto-Khoe languages in that part of the continent (e.g., Güldemann 2008). But it remains unclear whether the earliest livestock in southern Africa arrived with immigrant Khoespeakers, or whether the Khoe-speakers arrived later: the first livestock may have been traded down the line or infiltrated among southern African San hunter-gatherers (e.g., Sadr 2015).« less

New radiocarbon dates and the herder occupation at Kasteelberg B, South Africa [NEW RADIOCARBON DATES SHED LIGHT ON THE HERDER OCCUPATION SEQUENCE AT KASTEELBERG B, SOUTH AFRICA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sadr, Karim; Bousman, C. Britt; Brown, Thomas A.

In this paper, we present that five centuries ago, the first European mariners rounding the Cape of Good Hope encountered Khoekhoe-speaking people who occasionally supplied beef and mutton in return for iron, tobacco, alcohol and other exotic goods. The origin of their livestock, as well as of the Khoekhoen themselves, continues to intrigue academics. We now know the first livestock were introduced from the north and that they reached southern Africa over 2000 years ago (Robbins et al. 2005; Pleurdeau et al. 2012). Y-chromosome E3b1f-M293 (Henn et al. 2008) and lactase persistence allele -14010*C (Macholdt et al. 2014) indicate thatmore » some Khoe-speakers are distantly related through the male lineage to pastoralists in East Africa (Barbieri et al. 2014); a conclusion that is supported by linguists who locate the origins of proto-Khoe languages in that part of the continent (e.g., Güldemann 2008). But it remains unclear whether the earliest livestock in southern Africa arrived with immigrant Khoespeakers, or whether the Khoe-speakers arrived later: the first livestock may have been traded down the line or infiltrated among southern African San hunter-gatherers (e.g., Sadr 2015).« less

Learning from HIV: exploring migration and health in South Africa.

PubMed

Vearey, Joanna

2012-01-01

Southern Africa is associated with high HIV prevalence and diverse population movements, including temporary, circular movements between rural and urban areas within countries (internal migration), and movements across borders (international migration). Whilst most migration in southern Africa is associated with the search for improved livelihood opportunities in urban areas a small--but significant--number of people are forced to migrate to escape persecution or civil war. This paper utilises recent empirical studies conducted in South Africa to explore linkages between migration into urban areas and health, focusing on HIV. It is shown that the relationship between migration and HIV is complex; that both internal and international migrants move to urban areas for reasons other than healthcare seeking; and that most migratory movements into urban areas involve the positive selection of healthy individuals. Whilst healthy migration has economic benefits for rural sending households, the data uncovers an important process of return migration (internally or across borders) in times of sickness, with the burden of care placed on the rural, sending household. There is an urgent need for a comprehensive response that maintains the health of migrants in urban areas, and provides support to rural areas in times of sickness.

Cape Province, South Africa as seen from STS-58

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-10-30

STS058-77-083 (18 Oct-1 Nov 1993) --- In this scene of the south coast of Africa, Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point on the continent, appears as the leftmost cape. Viewed with the Earth's limb top left, clouds at bottom, the view direction is west and north top right. The Cape of Good Hope, with Cape Town nearby, is the thin spike beyond. The great bay in the foreground is Algoa Bay with the city of Port Elizabeth. This was the first time European voyagers are known to have rounded the Cape of Good Hope in their quest to reach India by sea. The entire fold mountain belt of southern Africa is visible: these mountains appear as green (forested) wavy structures stretching west form the foreground, to the Cape of Good Hope, and then northwards some distance. One theory about their origin is that the Falkland Plateau, now an undersea extension of South America, was jostled up against Africa more than 150 million years ago, in times before the Atlantic Ocean existed, before Africa and South America drifted apart from one another. The jostling caused the evolution of the fold mountain belt.

Autosomal and mtDNA Markers Affirm the Distinctiveness of Lions in West and Central Africa.

PubMed

Bertola, Laura D; Tensen, Laura; van Hooft, Pim; White, Paula A; Driscoll, Carlos A; Henschel, Philipp; Caragiulo, Anthony; Dias-Freedman, Isabela; Sogbohossou, Etotépé A; Tumenta, Pricelia N; Jirmo, Tuqa H; de Snoo, Geert R; de Iongh, Hans H; Vrieling, Klaas

2015-01-01

The evolutionary history of a species is key for understanding the taxonomy and for the design of effective management strategies for species conservation. The knowledge about the phylogenetic position of the lion (Panthera leo) in West/Central Africa is largely based on mitochondrial markers. Previous studies using mtDNA only have shown this region to hold a distinct evolutionary lineage. In addition, anthropogenic factors have led to a strong decline in West/Central African lion numbers, thus, the conservation value of these populations is particularly high. Here, we investigate whether autosomal markers are concordant with previously described phylogeographic patterns, and confirm the unique position of the West/Central African lion. Analysis of 20 microsatellites and 1,454 bp of the mitochondrial DNA in 16 lion populations representing the entire geographic range of the species found congruence in both types of markers, identifying four clusters: 1) West/Central Africa, 2) East Africa, 3) Southern Africa and 4) India. This is not in line with the current taxonomy, as defined by the IUCN, which only recognizes an African and an Asiatic subspecies. There are no indications that genetic diversity in West/Central Africa lions is lower than in either East or Southern Africa, however, given this genetic distinction and the recent declines of lion numbers in this region, we strongly recommend prioritization of conservation projects in West/Central Africa. As the current taxonomic nomenclature does not reflect the evolutionary history of the lion, we suggest that a taxonomic revision of the lion is warranted.

Autosomal and mtDNA Markers Affirm the Distinctiveness of Lions in West and Central Africa

PubMed Central

Bertola, Laura D.; Tensen, Laura; van Hooft, Pim; White, Paula A.; Driscoll, Carlos A.; Henschel, Philipp; Caragiulo, Anthony; Dias-Freedman, Isabela; Sogbohossou, Etotépé A.; Tumenta, Pricelia N.; Jirmo, Tuqa H.; de Snoo, Geert R.

2015-01-01

The evolutionary history of a species is key for understanding the taxonomy and for the design of effective management strategies for species conservation. The knowledge about the phylogenetic position of the lion (Panthera leo) in West/Central Africa is largely based on mitochondrial markers. Previous studies using mtDNA only have shown this region to hold a distinct evolutionary lineage. In addition, anthropogenic factors have led to a strong decline in West/Central African lion numbers, thus, the conservation value of these populations is particularly high. Here, we investigate whether autosomal markers are concordant with previously described phylogeographic patterns, and confirm the unique position of the West/Central African lion. Analysis of 20 microsatellites and 1,454 bp of the mitochondrial DNA in 16 lion populations representing the entire geographic range of the species found congruence in both types of markers, identifying four clusters: 1) West/Central Africa, 2) East Africa, 3) Southern Africa and 4) India. This is not in line with the current taxonomy, as defined by the IUCN, which only recognizes an African and an Asiatic subspecies. There are no indications that genetic diversity in West/Central Africa lions is lower than in either East or Southern Africa, however, given this genetic distinction and the recent declines of lion numbers in this region, we strongly recommend prioritization of conservation projects in West/Central Africa. As the current taxonomic nomenclature does not reflect the evolutionary history of the lion, we suggest that a taxonomic revision of the lion is warranted. PMID:26466139

Land cover mapping for development planning in Eastern and Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oduor, P.; Flores Cordova, A. I.; Wakhayanga, J. A.; Kiema, J.; Farah, H.; Mugo, R. M.; Wahome, A.; Limaye, A. S.; Irwin, D.

2016-12-01

Africa continues to experience intensification of land use, driven by competition for resources and a growing population. Land cover maps are some of the fundamental datasets required by numerous stakeholders to inform a number of development decisions. For instance, they can be integrated with other datasets to create value added products such as vulnerability impact assessment maps, and natural capital accounting products. In addition, land cover maps are used as inputs into Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventories to inform the Agriculture, Forestry and other Land Use (AFOLU) sector. However, the processes and methodologies of creating land cover maps consistent with international and national land cover classification schemes can be challenging, especially in developing countries where skills, hardware and software resources can be limiting. To meet this need, SERVIR Eastern and Southern Africa developed methodologies and stakeholder engagement processes that led to a successful initiative in which land cover maps for 9 countries (Malawi, Rwanda, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia and Tanzania) were developed, using 2 major classification schemes. The first sets of maps were developed based on an internationally acceptable classification system, while the second sets of maps were based on a nationally defined classification system. The mapping process benefited from reviews from national experts and also from technical advisory groups. The maps have found diverse uses, among them the definition of the Forest Reference Levels in Zambia. In Ethiopia, the maps have been endorsed by the national mapping agency as part of national data. The data for Rwanda is being used to inform the Natural Capital Accounting process, through the WAVES program, a World Bank Initiative. This work illustrates the methodologies and stakeholder engagement processes that brought success to this land cover mapping initiative.

International migration and sustainable human development in eastern and southern Africa.

PubMed

Oucho, J O

1995-01-01

International migration in eastern and southern Africa (ESA) is rarely addressed in population and development policies or regional organizations, and regional organizations must in the articulation of sustainable shared development identify the role of international migration. Poor quality data on international migration hampers analysis. Sustainable, shared, and human development within the region are subregional issues. Permanent migration is characterized among ESA countries as increasing demographic ethnic pluralism that may result in redrawing of territorial boundaries and further population movement. Portuguese and Arab settlement and integration in eastern areas resulted in coexistence, while European immigration to South Africa resulted in racial segregation. Modern colonial settlement and the aftermath of political conflict resulted in independent countries after the 1960s and outmigration of nonAfrican groups. Much of the labor migration in ESA is unskilled workers moving to South African mining regions. Labor migration to Zimbabwe and Zambia declined after the 1960s. The formation of the Common Market for ESA and the potential merger with the Preferential Trade Area and South African Development Community is a key approach to integration of migration into regional cooperation and shared development. Refugee movements create the most problems. Prior to 1992 ESA countries accounted for 83.4% of refugees, particularly in Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Some countries blame poor economic performance on the deluge of refugees. Illegal migration is currently detected because of the required work permits, but the adoption of the Common Market would obscure this phenomenon. Human development is affected most by migrations related to drought, labor migration to strong economic areas, and return migration. The Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development needs to become more active and establish better policies on nomadic and refugee movements and

Catalysts for Stone Age innovations: What might have triggered two short-lived bursts of technological and behavioral innovation in southern Africa during the Middle Stone Age?

PubMed

Jacobs, Zenobia; Roberts, Richard G

2009-01-01

Fossil and genetic evidence suggests the emergence of anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) in sub-Saharan Africa some time between 200 and 100 thousand years (ka) ago. But the first traces of symbolic behavior-a trait unique to our species-are not found until many tens of millennia later, and include items such as engraved ochres and eggshells, tools made from bone, and personal ornaments made of shell beads. These behavioral indicators appear in concert with two innovative phases of Middle Stone Age technology, known as the Still Bay (SB) and Howieson's Poort (HP) industries, across a range of climatic and ecological zones in southern Africa. The SB and HP have recently been dated to about 72-71 ka and 65-60 ka, respectively, at sufficiently high resolution to investigate the possible causes and effects. A remarkable feature of these two industries is the spatial synchroneity of their start and end dates at archaeological sites spread across a region of two million square kilometers. What were the catalysts for the SB and HP, and what were the consequences? Both industries flourished at a time when tropical Africa had just entered a period of wetter and more stable conditions, and populations of hunter-gatherers were expanding rapidly throughout sub-Saharan Africa before contracting into geographically and genetically isolated communities. The SB and HP also immediately preceded the likely exit time of modern humans from Africa into southern Asia and across to Australia, which marked the beginning of the worldwide dispersal of our species. In this paper, we argue that environmental factors alone are insufficient to explain these two bursts of technological and behavioral innovation. Instead, we propose that the formation of social networks across southern Africa during periods of population expansion, and the disintegration of these networks during periods of population contraction, can explain the abrupt appearance and disappearance of the SB and HP, as well

The spread of carbapenemase-producing bacteria in Africa: a systematic review.

PubMed

Manenzhe, Rendani I; Zar, Heather J; Nicol, Mark P; Kaba, Mamadou

2015-01-01

Carbapenems are the last line of defence against ever more prevalent MDR Gram-negative bacteria, but their efficacy is threatened worldwide by bacteria that produce carbapenemase enzymes. The epidemiology of bacteria producing carbapenemases has been described in considerable detail in Europe, North America and Asia; however, little is known about their spread and clinical relevance in Africa. We systematically searched in PubMed, EBSCOhost, Web of Science, Scopus, Elsevier Masson Consulte and African Journals Online, international conference proceedings, published theses and dissertations for studies reporting on carbapenemase-producing bacteria in Africa. We included articles published in English or French up to 28 February 2014. We calculated the prevalence of carbapenemase producers only including studies where the total number of isolates tested was at least 30. Eighty-three studies were included and analysed. Most studies were conducted in North Africa (74%, 61/83), followed by Southern Africa (12%, 10/83), especially South Africa (90%, 9/10), West Africa (8%, 7/83) and East Africa (6%, 6/83). Carbapenemase-producing bacteria were isolated from humans, the hospital environment and community environmental water samples, but not from animals. The prevalence of carbapenemase-producing isolates in hospital settings ranged from 2.3% to 67.7% in North Africa and from 9% to 60% in sub-Saharan Africa. Carbapenemase-producing bacteria have been described in many African countries; however, their prevalence is poorly defined and has not been systematically studied. Antibiotic stewardship and surveillance systems, including molecular detection and genotyping of resistant isolates, should be implemented to monitor and reduce the spread of carbapenemase-producing bacteria. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Reconstructing the History of Maize Streak Virus Strain A Dispersal To Reveal Diversification Hot Spots and Its Origin in Southern Africa ▿ †

PubMed Central

Monjane, Adérito L.; Harkins, Gordon W.; Martin, Darren P.; Lemey, Philippe; Lefeuvre, Pierre; Shepherd, Dionne N.; Oluwafemi, Sunday; Simuyandi, Michelo; Zinga, Innocent; Komba, Ephrem K.; Lakoutene, Didier P.; Mandakombo, Noella; Mboukoulida, Joseph; Semballa, Silla; Tagne, Appolinaire; Tiendrébéogo, Fidèle; Erdmann, Julia B.; van Antwerpen, Tania; Owor, Betty E.; Flett, Bradley; Ramusi, Moses; Windram, Oliver P.; Syed, Rizwan; Lett, Jean-Michel; Briddon, Rob W.; Markham, Peter G.; Rybicki, Edward P.; Varsani, Arvind

2011-01-01

Maize streak virus strain A (MSV-A), the causal agent of maize streak disease, is today one of the most serious biotic threats to African food security. Determining where MSV-A originated and how it spread transcontinentally could yield valuable insights into its historical emergence as a crop pathogen. Similarly, determining where the major extant MSV-A lineages arose could identify geographical hot spots of MSV evolution. Here, we use model-based phylogeographic analyses of 353 fully sequenced MSV-A isolates to reconstruct a plausible history of MSV-A movements over the past 150 years. We show that since the probable emergence of MSV-A in southern Africa around 1863, the virus spread transcontinentally at an average rate of 32.5 km/year (95% highest probability density interval, 15.6 to 51.6 km/year). Using distinctive patterns of nucleotide variation caused by 20 unique intra-MSV-A recombination events, we tentatively classified the MSV-A isolates into 24 easily discernible lineages. Despite many of these lineages displaying distinct geographical distributions, it is apparent that almost all have emerged within the past 4 decades from either southern or east-central Africa. Collectively, our results suggest that regular analysis of MSV-A genomes within these diversification hot spots could be used to monitor the emergence of future MSV-A lineages that could affect maize cultivation in Africa. PMID:21715477

Vocational Education--Priorities and Strategies. Report of the WCOTP Southern Africa Regional Conference (5th, Lilongwe and Mangochi, Malawi, September 22-26, 1985).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession, Morges (Switzerland).

This document reports the proceedings of a conference in Southern Africa that addressed two themes: (1) priorities and strategies for the reform of vocational education; and (2) the functions of teacher organizations. The following presentations are included: "Opening Address" (Frank A. P. Mkomawanthu); "Keynote Address: Priorities…

Proposing a Master's Programme on Participatory Integrated Assessment of Energy Systems to Promote Energy Access and Energy Efficiency in Southern Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiravu, Cheddi; Diaz-Maurin, François; Giampietro, Mario; Brent, Alan C.; Bukkens, Sandra G.F.; Chiguvare, Zivayi; Gasennelwe-Jeffrey, Mandu A.; Gope, Gideon; Kovacic, Zora; Magole, Lapologang; Musango, Josephine Kaviti; Ruiz-Rivas Hernando, Ulpiano; Smit, Suzanne; Vázquez Barquero, Antonio; Yunta Mezquita, Felipe

2018-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to present a new master's programme for promoting energy access and energy efficiency in Southern Africa. Design/methodology/approach: A transdisciplinary approach called "participatory integrated assessment of energy systems" (PARTICIPIA) was used for the development of the curriculum. This approach is based on…

HIV/AIDS reduces the relevance of the principle of individual medical confidentiality among the Bantu people of Southern Africa.

PubMed

Ndebele, Paul; Mfutso-Bengo, Joseph; Masiye, Francis

2008-01-01

The principle of individual medical confidentiality is one of the moral principles that Africa inherited unquestioningly from the West as part of Western medicine. The HIV/AIDS pandemic in Southern Africa has reduced the relevance of the principle of individual medical confidentiality. Individual medical confidentiality has especially presented challenges for practitioners among the Bantu communities that are well known for their social inter-connectedness and the way they value their extended family relations. Individual confidentiality has raised several unforeseen problems for persons living with HIV/AIDS, ranging from stigma and isolation to feelings of dejection as it drives them away from their families as a way of trying to keep information about their conditions confidential. The involvement of family members in treatment decisions is in line with the philosophy of Ubuntu and serves to respect patients' and families' autonomy while at the same time benefiting the individual patient.

Quantitative Study of Vulnerability / Damage Curves in South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pule, Tebogo

2014-05-01

Southern Africa is considered a stable continental region in spite of several cases of reported earthquakes, which caused considerable damage and casualties particularly in the mining industry. Most buildings and structures in South Africa are not designed to resist any intensity of earthquake and most architects, engineers and builders in the country do not consider seismic resistance as a design requirement. This is mainly because the region has not experienced any large and serious destructive earthquake in recent years. The most destructive earthquake recorded in South Africa is the Ceres earthquake of 1969. The earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 occurred on September 29, 1969 in the Ceres-Tulbagh region of the Western Cape Province about 100 km northeast of Cape Town. Serious damage occurred to certain buildings in the area (amounting to a total of U.S. 24 million). The structural damage varied from almost total destruction of old and poorly constructed buildings to large cracks in the better-built ones, twelve people were killed and many more were injured. Another event that caused severe damage to infrastructure occurred on March 9, 2005 at Stilfontein near Klerksdorp. It is known that up to 40 or more tremors are recorded monthly in Southern Africa, the locations are predominantly in the places surrounding the gold mining areas with many events around the Carletonville and Klerksdorp areas. Recent years have seen at least four mining induced tremors causing significant damage (Welkom 1976, Klerksdorp 1977, Welkom 1989 and Carletonville 1992). Such events show that it is very necessary to take seismic events into account in the design of any infrastructure. Assessing and understanding the risk facing the South African cities as a result of major seismic activity has been paid little attention. The main focus of this study is to use results of a deterministic hazard assessment to develop the most suitable damage curves for twelve of the most common building

Alien plant invasions--incorporating emerging invaders in regional prioritization: a pragmatic approach for Southern Africa.

PubMed

Mgidi, Theresa N; Le Maitre, David C; Schonegevel, Lucille; Nel, Jeanne L; Rouget, Mathieu; Richardson, David M

2007-07-01

Plant invasions are a serious threat to natural and semi-natural ecosystems worldwide. Most management-orientated research on invasions focuses on invaders that are already widespread and often have major impacts. This paper deals with "emerging" invaders-those alien species with the potential to become important problems without timely intervention. A climate matching procedure was developed to define areas of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland that could be invaded by 28 plant species that had previously been classified as emerging invaders. Information on the location of populations of these species in the study area was combined with information on their distributions (as native or alien) in parts of Australia and the United States of America. These two countries had the best available distribution data for this study. They also share many invasive alien plant species with South Africa. Climatic data obtained for weather stations near points of known occurrence in these countries were used to define the climatically suitable areas for each species in the study area. Almost 80% of the remaining natural environment in southern Africa was found to be vulnerable to invasion by at least one of these species, 50% by six or more and 24% by 16 or more species. The most vulnerable areas are the highveld grasslands and the eastern escarpment. The emerging invaders with the greatest potential range included Acacia podalyriifolia and Cortaderia selloana. The globally important invaders Ulex europaeus and Lythrum salicaria had a more limited invasion potential but could still become major invaders. There was no relationship between the extent of the climatically suitable areas for the different species and an expert ranking of their invasion potential, emphasising the uncertainties inherent in making expert assessments based on very little information. The methods used in this analysis establish a protocol for future modelling exercises to assess the invasion potential of

Regulating the for-profit private health sector: lessons from East and Southern Africa.

PubMed

Doherty, Jane E

2015-03-01

International evidence shows that, if poorly regulated, the private health sector may lead to distortions in the type, quantity, distribution, quality and price of health services, as well as anti-competitive behaviour. This article provides an overview of legislation governing the for-profit private health sector in East and Southern Africa. It identifies major implementation problems and suggests strategies Ministries of Health could adopt to regulate the private sector more effectively and in line with key public health objectives. This qualitative study was based on a document review of existing legislation in the region, and seven semi-structured interviews with individuals selected purposively on the basis of their experience in policymaking and legislation. Legislation was categorized according to its objectives and the level at which it operates. A thematic content analysis was conducted on interview transcripts. Most legislation focuses on controlling the entry of health professionals and organizations into the market. Most countries have not developed adequate legislation around behaviour following entry. Generally the type and quality of services provided by private practitioners and facilities are not well-regulated or monitored. Even where there is specific health insurance regulation, provisions seldom address open enrolment, community rating and comprehensive benefit packages (except in South Africa). There is minimal control of prices. Several countries are updating and improving legislation although, in most cases, this is without the benefit of an overarching policy on the private sector, or reference to wider public health objectives. Policymakers in the East and Southern African region need to embark on a programme of action to strengthen regulatory frameworks and instruments in relation to private health care provision and insurance. They should not underestimate the power of the private health sector to undermine efforts for increased

Interpretation of Nimbus-7 37 GHz microwave brightness temperature data in semi-arid southern Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prince, S. D.; Choudhury, B. J.

1989-01-01

Monthly 37 GHz microwave polarization difference temperatures (MPDT) derived from the Nimbus-7 scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) for southern Africa from 1979 to 1985 are compared with rainfall and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data. MPDT rose sharply during a drought episode which occurred within the period included in the data. The rise was seen not only in the growing season, but also in the dry season MPDT when no actively photosynthetic, water-containing leaves are present. The results suggest that scattering of the emitted microwave radiation by dead and living vegetation is a more important factor than has previously been recognized.

Big Sugar in southern Africa: rural development and the perverted potential of sugar/ethanol exports.

PubMed

Richardson, Ben

2010-01-01

This paper asks how investment in large-scale sugar cane production has contributed, and will contribute, to rural development in southern Africa. Taking a case study of the South African company Illovo in Zambia, the argument is made that the potential for greater tax revenue, domestic competition, access to resources and wealth distribution from sugar/ethanol production have all been perverted and with relatively little payoff in wage labour opportunities in return. If the benefits of agro-exports cannot be so easily assumed, then the prospective 'balance sheet' of biofuels needs to be re-examined. In this light, the paper advocates smaller-scale agrarian initiatives.

An Overview of SASSCAL Activities Supporting Interdisciplinary Water Research in Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helmschrot, J.; Jürgens, N.

2013-12-01

Climate change will affect current water resources in sub-Saharan Africa. Considering projected climate scenarios, the overall challenge in the southern African region is to secure water at sufficient quality and quantity for both, the stability of ecosystems with their functions and services as well as for human well-being (potable water, irrigation water, and water for industrial use). Thus, improved understanding of the linkages between hydrological (including hydro-geological) components of ecosystems and society is needed as a precondition to develop sustainable management strategies for integrated water resources management in this data scarce region. Funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), 87 research projects of the SASSCAL Initiative (Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management) focus on providing information and services allowing for a better understanding and assessment of the impact of climate and land management changes in five thematic areas, namely climate, water, agriculture, forestry and biodiversity. Water-related research activities in SASSCAL aim to improve our knowledge on the complex interactions and feedbacks between surface and groundwater dynamics and resources as well as land surface processes in selected regions of the participating countries (Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia). The main objective of this joint and integrated research effort is to develop reliable hydrological and hydro-geological baseline data along with a set of analytical methods to strengthen the research capacity of the water sector of the Southern African region. Thereby, SASSCAL contributes to the implemention of integrated water resources management strategies for improved trans-boundary river management and resources usage in the perspective of global climate and land management changes. Here, we present an overview and first results of ongoing studies conducted by various

[The fight against rabies in Africa: from recognition to action].

PubMed

Dodet, B; Adjogoua, E V; Aguemon, A-R; Baba, B A; Bara Adda, S; Boumandouki, P; Bourhy, H; Brahimi, M; Briggs, D; Diallo, M K; Diarra, L; Diop, B; Diop, S A G; Fesriry, B; Gosseye, S; Kharmachi, H; Le Roux, K; Nakoune Yandoko, E; Nel, L; Ngome, J-M; Nzengue, E; Ramahefalalao, E F; Ratsitorahina, M; Rich, H; Simpore, L; Soufi, A; Tejiokem, M C; Thiombiano, R; Tiembre, I; Traore, A K; Wateba, M I; Yahaye, H; Zaouia, I

2010-02-01

As a follow-up to the first AfroREB (Africa Rabies Expert Bureau) meeting, held in Grand-Bassam (Côte-d'Ivoire) in March 2008, African rabies experts of the Afro-REB network met a second time to complete the evaluation of the rabies situation in Africa and define specific action plans. About forty French speaking rabies specialists from Northern, Western and Central Africa and Madagascar met in Dakar (Senegal), from March 16th to 19th, 2009. With the participation of delegates from Tunisia, who joined the AfroREB network this year, 15 French speaking African countries were represented. Experts from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, the Alliance for Rabies Control, and the Southern and Eastern African Rabies Group (SEARG, a network of rabies experts from 19 English speaking Southern and Eastern African countries) were in attendance, to participate in the discussion and share their experiences. AfroREB members documented 146 known human rabies cases in all represented countries combined for 2008, for a total population of 209.3 million, or an incidence of 0.07 cases per 100,000 people. Even admitting that the experts do not have access to all reported cases, this is far from the WHO estimation of 2 rabies deaths per 100,000 people in urban areas and 3.6 per 100,000 in rural Africa. It was unanimously agreed that the priority is to break the vicious cycle of indifference and lack of information which is the main barrier to human rabies prevention.

Urban-Rural Literacy Gaps in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Roles of Socioeconomic Status and School Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Yanhong

2006-01-01

In this article, the author documents the learning disadvantage of rural primary school students in sub-Saharan Africa and attempts to identify the factors underlying such disadvantages. Analyzing data from 14 school systems participating in the second study of the Southern and Western Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ…

Air Quality Impact of Diffuse and Inefficient Combustion Emissions in Africa (DICE-Africa).

PubMed

Marais, Eloise A; Wiedinmyer, Christine

2016-10-04

Anthropogenic pollution in Africa is dominated by diffuse and inefficient combustion sources, as electricity access is low and motorcycles and outdated cars proliferate. These sources are missing, out-of-date, or misrepresented in state-of-the-science emission inventories. We address these deficiencies with a detailed inventory of Diffuse and Inefficient Combustion Emissions in Africa (DICE-Africa) for 2006 and 2013. Fuelwood for energy is the largest emission source in DICE-Africa, but grows from 2006 to 2013 at a slower rate than charcoal production and use, and gasoline and diesel for motorcycles, cars, and generators. Only kerosene use and gas flaring decline. Increase in emissions from 2006 to 2013 in this work is consistent with trends in satellite observations of formaldehyde and NO 2 , but much slower than the explosive growth projected with a fuel consumption model. Seasonal biomass burning is considered a large pollution source in Africa, but we estimate comparable emissions of black carbon and higher emissions of nonmethane volatile organic compounds from DICE-Africa. Nitrogen oxide (NO x ≡ NO + NO 2 ) emissions are much lower than from biomass burning. We use GEOS-Chem to estimate that the largest contribution of DICE-Africa to annual mean surface fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) is >5 μg m -3 in populous Nigeria.

The Expansion of mtDNA Haplogroup L3 within and out of Africa.

PubMed

Soares, Pedro; Alshamali, Farida; Pereira, Joana B; Fernandes, Verónica; Silva, Nuno M; Afonso, Carla; Costa, Marta D; Musilová, Eliska; Macaulay, Vincent; Richards, Martin B; Cerny, Viktor; Pereira, Luísa

2012-03-01

Although fossil remains show that anatomically modern humans dispersed out of Africa into the Near East ∼100 to 130 ka, genetic evidence from extant populations has suggested that non-Africans descend primarily from a single successful later migration. Within the human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) tree, haplogroup L3 encompasses not only many sub-Saharan Africans but also all ancient non-African lineages, and its age therefore provides an upper bound for the dispersal out of Africa. An analysis of 369 complete African L3 sequences places this maximum at ∼70 ka, virtually ruling out a successful exit before 74 ka, the date of the Toba volcanic supereruption in Sumatra. The similarity of the age of L3 to its two non-African daughter haplogroups, M and N, suggests that the same process was likely responsible for both the L3 expansion in Eastern Africa and the dispersal of a small group of modern humans out of Africa to settle the rest of the world. The timing of the expansion of L3 suggests a link to improved climatic conditions after ∼70 ka in Eastern and Central Africa rather than to symbolically mediated behavior, which evidently arose considerably earlier. The L3 mtDNA pool within Africa suggests a migration from Eastern Africa to Central Africa ∼60 to 35 ka and major migrations in the immediate postglacial again linked to climate. The largest population size increase seen in the L3 data is 3-4 ka in Central Africa, corresponding to Bantu expansions, leading diverse L3 lineages to spread into Eastern and Southern Africa in the last 3-2 ka.

Mantle Structure Beneath East Africa and Zambia from Body Wave Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulibo, G.; Nyblade, A.; Tugume, F.

2011-12-01

In this study, P and S travel time residuals from teleseismic earthquakes recorded on over 60 temporary AfricaArray seismic stations deployed in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia between 2007 and 2011 are being inverted, together with travel time residuals from previous deployments, for a 3D image of mantle wave speeds variations extending to a depth of 1200 km. Preliminary results show that at depths of 200 km of less, low wave speed anomalies are well developed beneath the Eastern and Western Branches of the East African Rift System. At deep depths, the low wave speed anomalies focus under the center and southern part of the East African Plateau and extend into the transition zone. At transition zone depths and within the top part of the lower mantle, the low wave speed anomaly shifts to the southwest beneath Zambia, indicating that the low wave speed anomaly is continuous across the transition zone and that it extends into the lower mantle. This result suggests that the upper mantle low wave speed anomaly beneath East Africa is connected to the African superplume anomaly in the lower mantle beneath southern Africa.

Brazil-Africa geological links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torquato, Joaquim Raul; Cordani, Umberto G.

1981-04-01

In this work, the main evidence and conclusions regarding geological links between Brazil and Africa are summarized, with emphasis on the geochronological aspects. Taking into account the geographical position, as well as the similarities in the geochronological pattern, the following main provinces of the two continents are correlated: The Imataca and Falawatra complexes in the Guayana Shield and the Liberian Province of West Africa. The Paraguay-Araguaia and the Rockelide Fold Belts. The Sa˜o Luiz and the West African cratonic areas. The Caririan Fold Belt of northeastern Brazil and the Pan-Africa Belt of Nigeria and Cameroon. The JequiéComplex of Bahia, the Ntem Complex of Cameroon and similar rocks of Gabon and Angola. The Ribeira Fold Belt in Brazil and the West Congo and Damara Belts in West and South Africa. In addition, other geological links are considered, such as some of the major linear fault zones which can be traced across the margins of South America and Africa, in the pre-drift reconstructions. Correlations are also made of the tectonic and stratigraphic evolution of the Paranáand Karroo syneclises, and the Brazilian and African marginal basins around the South Atlantic, during their initial stages. Finally, several similarities in the tectonic evolution of South America and Africa, during and after the onset of drifting, are shown to be compatible with a recent origin for the South Atlantic floor, as required by sea-floor spreading and continental drift between South America and Africa.

Education for Child Survival and Development in Africa. UNESCO-UNICEF Co-operative Programme Digest No. 20.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kagia, Ruth; And Others

Collected in this digest are nine articles concerning education for child survival and development in Africa. Topics include: (1) the role of basic education in the promotion of child survival and development; (2) child health in Eastern and Southern Africa, including discussions of problems, interventions, and the role of education for health;…

The WASCAL high-resolution climate projection ensemble for West Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunstmann, Harald; Heinzeller, Dominikus; Dieng, Diarra; Smiatek, Gerhard; Bliefernicht, Jan; Hamann, Ilse; Salack, Seyni

2017-04-01

With climate change being one of the most severe challenges to rural Africa in the 21st century, West Africa is facing an urgent need to develop effective adaptation and mitigation measures to protect its constantly growing population. We perform ensemble-based regional climate simulations at a high resolution of 12km for West Africa to allow a scientifically sound derivation of climate change adaptation measures. Based on the RCP4.5 scenario, our ensemble consist of three simulation experiments with the Weather Research & Forecasting Tool (WRF) and one additional experiment with the Consortium for Small-scale Modelling Model COSMO in Climate Mode (COSMO-CLM). We discuss the model performance over the validation period 1980-2010, including a novel, station-based precipitation database for West Africa obtained within the WASCAL (West African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adapted Land Use) program. Particular attention is paid to the representation of the dynamics of the West African Summer Monsoon and to the added value of our high-resolution models over existing data sets. We further present results on the climate change signal obtained for the two future periods 2020-2050 and 2070-2100 and compare them to current state-of-the-art projections from the CORDEX-Africa project. While the temperature change signal is similar to that obtained within CORDEX-Africa, our simulations predict a wetter future for the Coast of Guinea and the southern Soudano area and a slight drying in the northernmost part of the Sahel.

Alien Phytogeographic Regions of Southern Africa: Numerical Classification, Possible Drivers, and Regional Threats

PubMed Central

Hugo, Sanet; Van Rensburg, Berndt J.; Van Wyk, Abraham E.; Steenkamp, Yolande

2012-01-01

The distributions of naturalised alien plant species that have invaded natural or semi-natural habitat are often geographically restricted by the environmental conditions in their new range, implying that alien species with similar environmental requirements and tolerances may form assemblages and characterise particular areas. The aim of this study was to use objective numerical techniques to reveal any possible alien phytogeographic regions (i.e. geographic areas with characteristic alien plant assemblages) in southern Africa. Quarter degree resolution presence records of naturalised alien plant species of South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia and Botswana were analysed through a divisive hierarchical classification technique, and the output was plotted on maps for further interpretation. The analyses revealed two main alien phytogeographic regions that could be subdivided into eight lower level phytogeographic regions. Along with knowledge of the environmental requirements of the characteristic species and supported by further statistical analyses, we hypothesised on the main drivers of alien phytogeographic regions, and suggest that environmental features such as climate and associated biomes were most important, followed by human activities that modify climatic and vegetation features, such as irrigation and agriculture. Most of the characteristic species are not currently well-known as invasive plant species, but many may have potential to become troublesome in the future. Considering the possibility of biotic homogenization, these findings have implications for predicting the characteristics of the plant assemblages of the future. However, the relatively low quality of the dataset necessitates further more in-depth studies with improved data before the findings could be directly beneficial for management. PMID:22574145

Images of Africa: A Case Study of Pre-Service Candidates' Perceptions of Teaching Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Hannah

2017-01-01

As much as the history and study of Africa have been incorporated into social studies curricula, Africa is still a region that is prone to misperceptions and misconceptions. Social studies teachers could provide students with an alternative image, but what if they only perpetuate misperceptions of Africa? This case study examines preservice…

MODIS Observation of Aerosols over Southern Africa During SAFARI 2000: Data, Validation, and Estimation of Aerosol Radiative Forcing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ichoku, Charles; Kaufman, Yoram; Remer, Lorraine; Chu, D. Allen; Mattoo, Shana; Tanre, Didier; Levy, Robert; Li, Rong-Rong; Kleidman, Richard; Lau, William K. M. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Aerosol properties, including optical thickness and size parameters, are retrieved operationally from the MODIS sensor onboard the Terra satellite launched on 18 December 1999. The predominant aerosol type over the Southern African region is smoke, which is generated from biomass burning on land and transported over the southern Atlantic Ocean. The SAFARI-2000 period experienced smoke aerosol emissions from the regular biomass burning activities as well as from the prescribed burns administered on the auspices of the experiment. The MODIS Aerosol Science Team (MAST) formulates and implements strategies for the retrieval of aerosol products from MODIS, as well as for validating and analyzing them in order to estimate aerosol effects in the radiative forcing of climate as accurately as possible. These activities are carried out not only from a global perspective, but also with a focus on specific regions identified as having interesting characteristics, such as the biomass burning phenomenon in southern Africa and the associated smoke aerosol, particulate, and trace gas emissions. Indeed, the SAFARI-2000 aerosol measurements from the ground and from aircraft, along with MODIS, provide excellent data sources for a more intensive validation and a closer study of the aerosol characteristics over Southern Africa. The SAFARI-2000 ground-based measurements of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) from both the automatic Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and handheld Sun photometers have been used to validate MODIS retrievals, based on a sophisticated spatio-temporal technique. The average global monthly distribution of aerosol from MODIS has been combined with other data to calculate the southern African aerosol daily averaged (24 hr) radiative forcing over the ocean for September 2000. It is estimated that on the average, for cloud free conditions over an area of 9 million square kin, this predominantly smoke aerosol exerts a forcing of -30 W/square m C lose to the terrestrial

'Africa Alive Corridors': Forging a new future for the people of Africa by the people of Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felix Toteu, Sadrack; Malcolm Anderson, John; de Wit, Maarten

2010-11-01

' Africa Alive Corridors' (AAC) addresses major stewardship goals in Africa through a selection of 20 heritage Corridors (varying from 1000 to 4000 km in length and 50 to 100 km wide). These include more than 400 heritage nodes (World Heritage Sites, Biosphere Reserves, biodiversity hotspots, Geoparks, etc.). AAC tracks Africa's journey from around 4 billion years ago to the present day through these chronologically sequenced Corridors. And so, the 4-billion-year autobiography of the continent is told. It encompasses the geological, biological and anthropological/cultural history of Africa's 54 nations - a (hi-) story without borders. The wealth of scientific and biographical knowledge archived in this network of Corridors tells the story of continental drift, mega-geohazards, climate variability and change, and the origin and extinction of biodiversity; and includes our human roots, culture and spirituality, our impact on the Earth and our potential to influence its future. In telling this story of Africa, new research avenues will be discovered and new learning methodologies will be experienced and developed and shared. In this way, the AAC provide loci along which the eight UN-Millennium Development Goals may be readily and realistically achieved. In concert, they can form the basis for a new collective endeavour - of Pan African Earth Stewardship Science. In this, the final - 2010 - phase of IYPE (the International Year of Planet Earth), we aim to make a start at bringing the ' Africa Alive Corridors' into real-life context. Whilst the concept of the Corridors has been formulated and presented at various international forums—most recently in Africa at the launch of IYPE in Arusha, Tanzania, in May 2008—here we present in brief their conceptual framework, and summarize the rationale behind the selection of the 20 African Corridors. Then, we describe, for the first time, how the AAC concept might evolve. To achieve the latter, we focus on an exploratory

Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) hybrids: most dominant invasive genotype in southern Africa

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hybridization can potentially enhance invasiveness. Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) hybrids appear to be the dominant genotypes in their invasions. Exotic Tamarix are declared invasive in South Africa and the exotic T. chinensis and T. ramosissima are known to hybridize between themselves, and with the nativ...

Africa's Economic Crisis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartman, William

1992-01-01

Discusses the economic situation in the non-Arab nations of Africa. Presents two opposing views of the efforts of the World Bank at adjusting the financial programs of governments of developing countries. Suggests that perhaps with cooperation the cycle of poverty and disease can be broken in Africa. (DK)

A decade of nutrition research in Africa: assessment of the evidence base and academic collaboration.

PubMed

Lachat, Carl; Roberfroid, Dominique; Van den Broeck, Lien; Van den Briel, Natalie; Nago, Eunice; Kruger, Annamarie; Holdsworth, Michelle; Garimoi Orach, Christopher; Kolsteren, Patrick

2015-07-01

Malnutrition in Africa has not improved compared with other regions in the world. Investment in the build-up of a strong African research workforce is essential to provide contextual solutions to the nutritional problems of Africa. To orientate this process, we reviewed nutrition research carried out in Africa and published during the last decade. We assessed nutrition research from Africa published between 2000 and 2010 from MEDLINE and EMBASE and analysed the study design and type of intervention for studies indexed with major MeSH terms for vitamin A deficiency, protein-energy malnutrition, obesity, breast-feeding, nutritional status and food security. Affiliations of first authors were visualised as a network and power of affiliations was assessed using centrality metrics. Africa. Africans, all age groups. Most research on the topics was conducted in Southern (36%) and Western Africa (34%). The intervention studies (9%; n 95) mainly tested technological and curative approaches to the nutritional problems. Only for papers on protein-energy malnutrition and obesity did lead authorship from Africa exceed that from non-African affiliations. The 10% most powerfully connected affiliations were situated mainly outside Africa for publications on vitamin A deficiency, breast-feeding, nutritional status and food security. The development of the evidence base for nutrition research in Africa is focused on treatment and the potential for cross-African networks to publish nutrition research from Africa remains grossly underutilised. Efforts to build capacity for effective nutrition action in Africa will require forging a true academic partnership between African and non-African research institutions.

Improved predictability of droughts over southern Africa using the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index and ENSO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manatsa, Desmond; Mushore, Terrence; Lenouo, Andre

2017-01-01

The provision of timely and reliable climate information on which to base management decisions remains a critical component in drought planning for southern Africa. In this observational study, we have not only proposed a forecasting scheme which caters for timeliness and reliability but improved relevance of the climate information by using a novel drought index called the standardised precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), instead of the traditional precipitation only based index, the standardised precipitation index (SPI). The SPEI which includes temperature and other climatic factors in its construction has a more robust connection to ENSO than the SPI. Consequently, the developed ENSO-SPEI prediction scheme can provide quantitative information about the spatial extent and severity of predicted drought conditions in a way that reflects more closely the level of risk in the global warming context of the sub region. However, it is established that the ENSO significant regional impact is restricted only to the period December-March, implying a revisit to the traditional ENSO-based forecast scheme which essentially divides the rainfall season into the two periods, October to December and January to March. Although the prediction of ENSO events has increased with the refinement of numerical models, this work has demonstrated that the prediction of drought impacts related to ENSO is also a reality based only on observations. A large temporal lag is observed between the development of ENSO phenomena (typically in May of the previous year) and the identification of regional SPEI defined drought conditions. It has been shown that using the Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum's (SARCOF) traditional 3-month averaged Nino 3.4 SST index (June to August) as a predictor does not have an added advantage over using only the May SST index values. In this regard, the extended lead time and improved skill demonstrated in this study could immensely benefit

Potential plant poisonings in dogs and cats in southern Africa.

PubMed

Botha, C J; Penrith, M L

2009-06-01

Plant poisoning occurs less commonly in dogs and cats than in herbivorous livestock, but numerous cases have been documented worldwide, most of them caused by common and internationally widely cultivated ornamental garden and house plants. Few cases of poisoning of cats and dogs have been reported in southern Africa, but many of the plants that have caused poisoning in these species elsewhere are widely available in the subregion and are briefly reviewed in terms of toxic principles, toxicity, species affected, clinical signs, and prognosis. The list includes Melia azedarach (syringa), Brunfelsia spp. (yesterday, today and tomorrow), Datura stramonium (jimsonweed, stinkblaar), a wide variety of lilies and lily-like plants, cycads, plants that contain soluble oxalates, plants containing cardiac glycosides and other cardiotoxins and euphorbias (Euphorbia pulcherrima, E. tirucalli). Poisoning by plant products such as macadamia nuts, onions and garlic, grapes and raisins, cannabis (marijuana, dagga) or hashish and castor oil seed or seedcake is also discussed. Many of the poisonings are not usually fatal, but others frequently result in death unless rapid action is taken by the owner and the veterinarian, underlining the importance of awareness of the poisonous potential of a number of familiar plants.

Distance Education in Southern Africa Conference, 1987. Papers 2: Issues in Education and Distance Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adey, David, Comp.; And Others

Eighteen papers from the University of South Africa's Conference on Distance Education are presented on issues in education and distance education. They include: "Distance Education in Africa's Educational Development: The Case of Ghana" (Joe K. Ansere); "Distance Education: A Solution to the Economic Problems of Education in…

Incidence rate of Kaposi sarcoma in HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy in Southern Africa: a prospective multi-cohort study

PubMed Central

Rohner, Eliane; Valeri, Fabio; Maskew, Mhairi; Prozesky, Hans; Rabie, Helena; Garone, Daniela; Dickinson, Diana; Chimbetete, Cleophas; Lumano-Mulenga, Priscilla; Sikazwe, Izukanji; Wyss, Natascha; Clough-Gorr, Kerri M.; Egger, Matthias; Chi, Benjamin H.; Bohlius, Julia

2014-01-01

Background The risk of Kaposi sarcoma (KS) among HIV-infected persons on antiretroviral therapy (ART) is not well defined in resource-limited settings. We studied KS incidence rates and associated risk factors in children and adults on ART in Southern Africa. Methods We included patient data of six ART programs in Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. We estimated KS incidence rates in patients on ART measuring time from 30 days after ART initiation to KS diagnosis, last follow-up visit, or death. We assessed risk factors (age, sex, calendar year, WHO stage, tuberculosis, and CD4 counts) using Cox models. Findings We analyzed data from 173,245 patients (61% female, 8% children aged <16 years) who started ART between 2004 and 2010. 564 incident cases were diagnosed during 343,927 person-years (pys). KS incidence rate overall was 164/100,000 pys (95% confidence interval [CI] 151–178). The incidence rate was highest 30 to 90 days after ART initiation (413/100,000 pys; 95% CI 342–497) and declined thereafter (86/100,000 pys[95% CI 71–105]>2 years after ART initiation). Male sex (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.34; 95% CI 1.12–1.61), low current CD4 counts (≥500 cells/µL versus <50 cells/µL, adjusted HR 0.36; 95% CI 0.23–0.55) and age (5 to 9 years versus 30 to 39 years, adjusted HR 0.20; 95% CI 0.05–0.79) were relevant risk factors for developing KS. Interpretation Despite ART, KS risk in HIV-infected persons in Southern Africa remains high. Early HIV testing and maintaining high CD4 counts is needed to further reduce KS-related morbidity and mortality. PMID:25393941

Local biomass burning is a dominant cause of the observed precipitation reduction in southern Africa

PubMed Central

Hodnebrog, Øivind; Myhre, Gunnar; Forster, Piers M.; Sillmann, Jana; Samset, Bjørn H.

2016-01-01

Observations indicate a precipitation decline over large parts of southern Africa since the 1950s. Concurrently, atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and aerosols have increased due to anthropogenic activities. Here we show that local black carbon and organic carbon aerosol emissions from biomass burning activities are a main cause of the observed decline in southern African dry season precipitation over the last century. Near the main biomass burning regions, global and regional modelling indicates precipitation decreases of 20–30%, with large spatial variability. Increasing global CO2 concentrations further contribute to precipitation reductions, somewhat less in magnitude but covering a larger area. Whereas precipitation changes from increased CO2 are driven by large-scale circulation changes, the increase in biomass burning aerosols causes local drying of the atmosphere. This study illustrates that reducing local biomass burning aerosol emissions may be a useful way to mitigate reduced rainfall in the region. PMID:27068129

Viral dynamics and CD4+ T cell counts in subtype C human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected individuals from southern Africa.

PubMed

Gray, Clive M; Williamson, Carolyn; Bredell, Helba; Puren, Adrian; Xia, Xiaohua; Filter, Ruben; Zijenah, Lynn; Cao, Huyen; Morris, Lynn; Vardas, Efthyia; Colvin, Mark; Gray, Glenda; McIntyre, James; Musonda, Rosemary; Allen, Susan; Katzenstein, David; Mbizo, Mike; Kumwenda, Newton; Taha, Taha; Karim, Salim Abdool; Flores, Jorge; Sheppard, Haynes W

2005-04-01

Defining viral dynamics in natural infection is prognostic of disease progression and could prove to be important for vaccine trial design as viremia may be a likely secondary end point in phase III HIV efficacy trials. There are limited data available on the early course of plasma viral load in subtype C HIV-1 infection in Africa. Plasma viral load and CD4+ T cell counts were monitored in 51 recently infected subjects for 9 months. Individuals were recruited from four southern African countries: Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and South Africa and the median estimated time from seroconversion was 8.9 months (interquartile range, 5.7-14 months). All were infected with subtype C HIV-1 and median viral loads, measured using branched DNA, ranged from 3.82-4.02 log10 RNA copies/ml from 2-24 months after seroconversion. Viral loads significantly correlated with CD4+ cell counts (r=-0.5, p<0.0001; range, 376-364 cells/mm3) and mathematical modeling defined a median set point of 4.08 log10 (12 143 RNA copies/ml), which was attained approximately 17 months after seroconversion. Comparative measurements using three different viral load platforms (bDNA, Amplicor, and NucliSens) confirmed that viremia in subtype C HIV-1-infected individuals within the first 2 years of infection did not significantly differ from that found in early subtype B infection. In conclusion, the course of plasma viremia, as described in this study, will allow a useful baseline comparator for understanding disease progression in an African setting and may be useful in the design of HIV-1 vaccine trials in southern Africa.

The majority legal status of women in southern Africa: implications for women and families.

PubMed

Van Hook, M P; Ngwenya, B N

1996-01-01

The introduction to this article, which provides an overview of the legal status of women in southern Africa, notes that the legal majority status of women is an important social policy issue with broad implications for the socioeconomic welfare of women and their families. The dual legal system (general law and customary law) which arose from colonization is a complicating factor in the legal life of women in the region. The colonial legal system legitimized the subordination of women, and during the colonial period the customary system was reinvented to the detriment of women by male African leaders working in collusion with colonial authorities. The next section of this article presents a brief description of the legal standing of women in terms of majority/minority status, marriage arrangements, and right to own immovable property in the states of Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The implications of the majority/minority status of women are then explored through consideration of the economic effects of majority rights, of family relationships, and of efforts to change the legal system (by changing the content and implementation of laws and by empowering women to take advantage of their rights). The barriers that impede women from asserting their rights point to the need for removal of broad-based economic, educational, and cultural constraints. Granting majority rights is an important step toward the goals of eliminating poverty and ending the marginalization of women.

The Predictability of Dry-Season Precipitation in Tropical West Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knippertz, P.; Davis, J.; Fink, A. H.

2012-04-01

Precipitation during the boreal winter dry season in tropical West Africa is rare but occasionally connected to high-impacts for the local population. Previous work has shown that these events are usually connected to a trough over northwestern Africa, an extensive cloud plume on its eastern side, unusual precipitation at the northern and western fringes of the Sahara, and reduced surface pressure over the southern Sahara and Sahel, which allows an inflow of moist southerlies from the Gulf of Guinea to feed the unusual dry-season rainfalls. These results also suggest that the extratropical influence enhances the predictability of these events on the synoptic timescale. Here we further investigate this question for the 11 dry seasons (November-March) 1998/99-2008/09 using rainfall estimates from TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) and GPCP (Global Precipitation Climatology Project), and operational ensemble predictions from the European Centre for Medium-Range Forecasts (ECMWF). All fields are averaged over the study area 7.5-15°N, 10°W-10°E that spans most of southern West Africa. For each 0000 UTC analysis time, the daily precipitation estimates are accumulated to pentads and compared with 120-hour predictions starting at the same time. Compared to TRMM, the ensemble mean shows a weak positive bias, whereas there is a substantial negative bias with regard to GPCP. Temporal correlations reach a high value of 0.8 for both datasets, showing similar synoptic variability despite the differences in total amount. Standard probabilistic evaluation methods such as relative operating characteristic (ROC) diagrams indicate remarkably good reliability, resolution and skill, particularly for lower precipitation thresholds. Not surprisingly, forecasts cluster at low probabilities for higher thresholds, but the reliability and ROC score are still reasonably high. The results show that global ensemble prediction systems are capable to predict dry-season rainfall events

Living on the edge: timing of Rand Flora disjunctions congruent with ongoing aridification in Africa.

PubMed

Pokorny, Lisa; Riina, Ricarda; Mairal, Mario; Meseguer, Andrea S; Culshaw, Victoria; Cendoya, Jon; Serrano, Miguel; Carbajal, Rodrigo; Ortiz, Santiago; Heuertz, Myriam; Sanmartín, Isabel

2015-01-01

The Rand Flora is a well-known floristic pattern in which unrelated plant lineages show similar disjunct distributions in the continental margins of Africa and adjacent islands-Macaronesia-northwest Africa, Horn of Africa-Southern Arabia, Eastern Africa, and Southern Africa. These lineages are now separated by environmental barriers such as the arid regions of the Sahara and Kalahari Deserts or the tropical lowlands of Central Africa. Alternative explanations for the Rand Flora pattern range from vicariance and climate-driven extinction of a widespread pan-African flora to independent dispersal events and speciation in situ. To provide a temporal framework for this pattern, we used published data from nuclear and chloroplast DNA to estimate the age of disjunction of 17 lineages that span 12 families and nine orders of angiosperms. We further used these estimates to infer diversification rates for Rand Flora disjunct clades in relation to their higher-level encompassing lineages. Our results indicate that most disjunctions fall within the Miocene and Pliocene periods, coinciding with the onset of a major aridification trend, still ongoing, in Africa. Age of disjunctions seemed to be related to the climatic affinities of each Rand Flora lineage, with sub-humid taxa dated earlier (e.g., Sideroxylon) and those with more xeric affinities (e.g., Campylanthus) diverging later. We did not find support for significant decreases in diversification rates in most groups, with the exception of older subtropical lineages (e.g., Sideroxylon, Hypericum, or Canarina), but some lineages (e.g., Cicer, Campylanthus) showed a long temporal gap between stem and crown ages, suggestive of extinction. In all, the Rand Flora pattern seems to fit the definition of biogeographic pseudocongruence, with the pattern arising at different times in response to the increasing aridity of the African continent, with interspersed periods of humidity allowing range expansions.

School Resources and Academic Performance in Sub-Saharan Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Valerie E.; Zuze, Tia Linda

2011-01-01

We investigate links between students' achievement and several resource inputs in African primary schools, using data from the 2000 Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ-II). We focused on four sub-Saharan countries that had in place legislation mandating free and universal primary schooling: Botswana,…

Traditional Music of East Africa: Experiencing "Ngoma" in Tanzania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Karen

2014-01-01

The concept of ngoma is present throughout Eastern and Southern Africa. Ngoma refers to the tradition of expression via music, drumming, dance, and storytelling. History, values, education, and even identity can be transmitted between generations. This article traces the experiences of a music teacher from the United States traveling and studying…

Fires in South Africa, snow in Lesotho

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The precipitation that brought snow fall to the Drakensberg Mountains in Lesotho in southern Africa was not enough to quench the numerous fires (marked with red dots) burning throughout the Republic of South Africa. These Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images from June 18, 2002, and July 2, 2002, show the snowfall in landlocked Lesotho contrasting sharply with the country's brown, mountainous terrain. (In the false-color image, vegetation is bright green, bare soil is brown, and burned areas are reddish-brown. In northeast Republic of South Africa, right along the border with Mozambique, the smooth, gray-brown terrain shows the boundaries of Kruger National Park. The Park was established in the late 1800s to protect game species, such as elephants, antelope, and bison, which were being hunted in great numbers. In this image, dark brown patches reveal the location of previous fires. The vegetation has yet to come back, and the landscape is virtually bare. NASA scientists study fire behavior in Kruger as part of the SAFARI field campaign. Running southward through Mozambique and into the Indian Ocean is the muddy Limpopo River--known to many through Rudyard Kipling's 'Just-so' story about how the elephant got its trunk. Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Sustainability of NGO capacity building in southern Africa: successes and opportunities.

PubMed

Humphries, Debbie; Gomez, Ligia; Hartwig, Kari

2011-01-01

Despite an increase in organizational capacity building efforts by external organizations in low and middle income countries, the documentation of these efforts and their effects on health programs and systems remains limited. This paper reviews key frameworks for considering sustainability of capacity building and applies these frameworks to an evaluation of the sustainability of an AIDS non-governmental organization (NGO) capacity building initiative. From 2004-2007 Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation's Secure the Future(TM) initiative in southern Africa funded a five country program, the NGO Training Institute (NGOTI), to build capacity of NGOs working to address HIV/AIDS. Lessons learned from this project include issues of ownership, the importance of integrating planning for sustainability within capacity-building projects, and the value of identifying primary capacity-building objectives in order to select sustainability strategies that are focused on maintaining program benefits. Sustainability for capacity building projects can be developed by discussing key issues early in the planning process with all primary stakeholders. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

AIDS in South Africa. Puppet power.

PubMed

Friedman, G

1992-01-01

Blacks in South Africa see the government campaign promoting condom use to prevent AIDS as a political ruse to control population growth among Blacks. The City Health Department of Johannesburg does not use a government created poster targeted to Blacks because it implies that only Blacks have AIDS. Even though the number of AIDS cases in South Africa is lower (700 reported cases) than that of its neighbors, the number of HIV infected individuals is growing. So nongovernmental organizations are trying to overcome the division between the government and Blacks by finding alternative ways to stem the AIDS epidemic. The African Research and Educational Puppetry Programme uses Puppets Against AIDS to bridge racial, cultural, language, and educational barriers to thus educate Blacks about AIDS. It not only hopes to create and perform educational and socially valuable theater, but also to rediscover performing arts traditions in southern and central Africa. Since about 76% of the black population in rural South Africa is illiterate, the gray skinned puppets constitute an interactive and inoffensive way to communicate a serious message. Someone demonstrates how to put on a condom using a life size model which induces controversy among physicians and educated whites. Blacks in Johannesburg and surrounding townships are not offended, however. In fact, many have never seen condoms before the demonstration. The puppets emphasize that safe sex and having sex with only 1 partner can stop the spread of AIDS. Each performance also includes live African percussion and music. A narrator distributes free condoms and AIDS information brochures to the audience. Videotapes of each performance are used to evaluate audience reactions. Independent evaluation teams evaluate the impact of the performance. 1-4 day workshops on AIDS, puppet making, story development, and performing skills follow each performance.

Generation 2030/Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

You, Danzhen; Hug, Lucia; Anthony, David

2014-01-01

Until relatively recently, much of Africa has been among the economically least developed and least densely populated places on earth, replete with villages and rural communities. Africa is changing rapidly, in its economy, trade and investment; in climate change; in conflict and stability; in urbanization, migration patterns, and most of all in…

Monitoring vegetation dynamics with medium resolution MODIS-EVI time series at sub-regional scale in southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubovyk, Olena; Landmann, Tobias; Erasmus, Barend F. N.; Tewes, Andreas; Schellberg, Jürgen

2015-06-01

Currently there is a lack of knowledge on spatio-temporal patterns of land surface dynamics at medium spatial scale in southern Africa, even though this information is essential for better understanding of ecosystem response to climatic variability and human-induced land transformations. In this study, we analysed vegetation dynamics across a large area in southern Africa using the 14-years (2000-2013) of medium spatial resolution (250 m) MODIS-EVI time-series data. Specifically, we investigated temporal changes in the time series of key phenometrics including overall greenness, peak and timing of annual greenness over the monitoring period and study region. In order to specifically capture spatial and per pixel vegetation changes over time, we calculated trends in these phenometrics using a robust trend analysis method. The results showed that interannual vegetation dynamics followed precipitation patterns with clearly differentiated seasonality. The earliest peak greenness during 2000-2013 occurred at the end of January in the year 2000 and the latest peak greenness was observed at the mid of March in 2012. Specifically spatial patterns of long-term vegetation trends allowed mapping areas of (i) decrease or increase in overall greenness, (ii) decrease or increase of peak greenness, and (iii) shifts in timing of occurrence of peak greenness over the 14-year monitoring period. The observed vegetation decline in the study area was mainly attributed to human-induced factors. The obtained information is useful to guide selection of field sites for detailed vegetation studies and land rehabilitation interventions and serve as an input for a range of land surface models.

Telecommunications and Development in Africa.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiplagat, B. A., Ed.; Werner, M. C. M., Ed.

The Telecommunications Foundation of Africa (TFA) was created in 1992 out of a conviction that insufficient telecommunications in Africa are an impediment to economic growth, and that more resources could be mobilized to strengthen this sector. This volume was made by TFA for readers both inside and outside of Africa and the telecommunications…

Investigating the Relationship Between Dynamic Topography and Sediment Flux in Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walford, H. L.; White, N. J.

2002-12-01

It is generally accepted that the `basin and swell' topography of Africa is maintained by circulation within the mantle. Many swells are volcano-capped, and their topographic expression shows a close correlation with the long wavelength (>1000 km) free-air gravity anomaly, which can be regarded as a proxy for the convective pattern. Tomographic studies have revealed a region of slow seismic velocities in the lower mantle beneath the `African Superswell', a region of anomalously high elevation that stretches from the South Atlantic Ocean across southern Africa to the volcanic hot spot beneath Afar. Models based on gravity or seismology offer little constraint on the timing and development of dynamic topography since these observations are restricted to the present day. Recently, tomographic data has been combined with geomorphologically derived uplift rates from southern Africa, providing useful temporal constraints for dynamical modelling. Another way to investigate the history of dynamic topography is to interrogate the stratigraphic record. Africa is almost entirely surrounded by passive continental margins, formed during the break-up of Gondwana in the Mesozoic. Sediment has been accumulating on these margins throughout the Cenozoic, providing an indirect record of onshore vertical motions. The development of `basin and swell' topography together with epeirogenic uplift caused by the African Superswell would have had a profound effect on the drainage systems of the entire continent. 40% of the African continent is drained by just 6 rivers, which have formed large deltas on the continental shelf (i.e. Nile, Congo, Niger, Zambezi, Orange and Ogooue). Elevation of a catchment area is a primary control on the amount of sediment supplied to a major delta. Hence, by calculating the sediment flux to the deltas of Africa as a function of time, the history of vertical motions can be indirectly constrained. Analysis of several deltas reveals a widespread modification of

Origin, imports and exports of HIV-1 subtype C in South Africa: A historical perspective.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Eduan; Rasmussen, David; Ratmann, Oliver; Stadler, Tanja; Engelbrecht, Susan; de Oliveira, Tulio

2016-12-01

While the HIV epidemic in South Africa had a later onset than epidemics in other southern African countries, prevalence grew rapidly during the 1990's when the country was going through socio-political changes with the end of Apartheid. South Africa currently has the largest number of people living with HIV in the world and the epidemic is dominated by a unique subtype, HIV-1 subtype C. This large epidemic is also characterized by high level of genetic diversity. We hypothesize that this diversity is due to multiple introductions of the virus during the period of change. In this paper, we apply novel phylogeographic methods to estimate the number of viral imports and exports from the start of the epidemic to the present. We assembled 11,289 unique subtype C pol sequences from southern Africa. These represent one of the largest sequence datasets ever analyzed in the region. Sequences were stratified based on country of sampling and levels of genetic diversity were estimated for each country. Sequences were aligned and a maximum-likelihood evolutionary tree was inferred. Least-Squares Dating was then used to obtain a dated phylogeny from which we estimated the number of introductions into and exports out of South Africa using parsimony-based ancestral location reconstructions. Our results identified 189 viral introductions into South Africa with the largest number of introductions attributed to Zambia (n=109), Botswana (n=32), Malawi (n=26) and Zimbabwe (n=13). South Africa also exported many viral lineages to its neighbours. The bulk viral imports and exports appear to have occurred between 1985 and 2000, coincident with the period of socio-political transition. The high level of subtype C genetic diversity in South Africa is related to multiple introductions of the virus to the country. While the number of viral imports and exports we identified was highly sensitive to the number of samples included from each country, they mostly clustered around the period of

Geographic distribution of Theileria sp. (buffalo) and Theileria sp. (bougasvlei) in Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in southern Africa: implications for speciation.

PubMed

Pienaar, Ronel; Latif, Abdalla A; Thekisoe, Oriel M M; Mans, Ben J

2014-03-01

Strict control measures apply to movement of buffalo in South Africa including testing for Theileria parva, the causative agent of Corridor disease in cattle. The official test is a real-time hybridization PCR assay that amplifies the 18S rRNA V4 hyper-variable region of T. parva, T. sp. (buffalo) and T. sp. (bougasvlei). Mixed infections with the latter organisms affect diagnostic sensitivity due to PCR suppression. While the incidence of mixed infections in the Corridor disease endemic region of South Africa is significant, little information is available on the specific distribution and prevalence of T. sp. (buffalo) and T. sp. (bougasvlei). Specific real-time PCR assays were developed and a total of 1211 samples known to harbour these parasites were screened. Both parasites are widely distributed in southern Africa and the incidence of mixed infections with T. parva within the endemic region is similar (∼25-50%). However, a significant discrepancy exists in regard to mixed infections of T. sp. (buffalo) and T. sp. (bougasvlei) (∼10%). Evidence for speciation between T. sp. (buffalo) and T. sp. (bougasvlei) is supported by phylogenetic analysis of the COI gene, and their designation as different species. This suggests mutual exclusion of parasites and the possibility of hybrid sterility in cases of mixed infections.

Renewable Energy Zones for the Africa Clean Energy Corridor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Grace C.; Deshmukh, Ranjit; Ndhlukula, Kudakwashe

Multi-criteria Analysis for Planning Renewable Energy (MapRE) is a study approach developed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with the support of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The approach combines geospatial, statistical, energy engineering, and economic methods to comprehensively identify and value high-quality wind, solar PV, and solar CSP resources for grid integration based on techno-economic criteria, generation profiles (for wind), and socio-environmental impacts. The Renewable Energy Zones for the Africa Clean Energy Corridor study sought to identify and comprehensively value high-quality wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), and concentrating solar power (CSP) resources in 21 countries in the East andmore » Southern Africa Power Pools to support the prioritization of areas for development through a multi-criteria planning process. These countries include Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The study includes the methodology and the key results including renewable energy potential for each region.« less

Tropospheric Ozone Increases over the Southern Africa Region: Bellwether for Rapid Growth in Southern Hemisphere Pollution?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Anne M.; Balashov, Nikolay V.; Witte, J. C.; Coetzee, J. G. R.; Thouret, V.; Posny, F.

2014-01-01

Increases in free-tropospheric (FT) ozone based on ozonesonde records from the early 1990s through 2008 over two subtropical stations, Irene (near Pretoria, South Africa) and Réunion (21 deg. S, 55 deg. E; approx. 2800 km NE of Irene in the Indian Ocean), have been reported. Over Irene a large increase in the urban-influenced boundary layer (BL, 1.5-4 km) was also observed during the 18-year period, equivalent to 30%decade-1. Here we show that the Irene BL trend is at least partly due to a gradual change in the sonde launch times from early morning to the midday period. The FT ozone profiles over Irene in 1990-2007 are re-examined, filling in a 1995-1999 gap with ozone profiles taken during the Measurements of Ozone by Airbus In-service Aircraft (MOZAIC) project over nearby Johannesburg. A multivariate regression model that accounts for the annual ozone cycle, El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and possible tropopause changes was applied to monthly averaged Irene data from 4 to 11 km and to 1992-2011 Réunion sonde data from 4 to 15 km. Statistically significant trends appear predominantly in the middle and upper troposphere (UT; 4-11 km over Irene, 4-15 km over Réunion) in winter (June-August), with increases 1 ppbv yr(exp. -1) over Irene and approx. 2 ppbv yr(exp. -1) over Réunion. These changes are equivalent to approx. 25 and 35-45%decade( exp. -1), respectively. Both stations also display smaller positive trends in summer, with a 45%decade(exp. -1) ozone increase near the tropopause over Réunion in December. To explain the ozone increases, we investigated a time series of dynamical markers, e.g., potential vorticity (PV) at 330-350 K. PV affects UT ozone over Irene in November-December but displays little relationship with ozone over Réunion. A more likely reason for wintertime FT ozone increases over Irene and Réunion appears to be long-range transport of growing pollution in the Southern Hemisphere. The ozone increases are consistent with trajectory

International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa: Strengthening Africa's Educational Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa, 2006

2006-01-01

Established in 1999, the UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) is one of six UNESCO Institutes and Centers under the direction of the UNESCO Secretariat. The only UNESCO Institute in Africa, it is mandated to strengthen the capacities of the teacher education institutions of its 53 member states, and promote…

Diversity of Dicotyledenous-Infecting Geminiviruses and Their Associated DNA Molecules in Southern Africa, Including the South-West Indian Ocean Islands

PubMed Central

Rey, Marie E. C.; Ndunguru, Joseph; Berrie, Leigh C.; Paximadis, Maria; Berry, Shaun; Cossa, Nurbibi; Nuaila, Valter N.; Mabasa, Ken G.; Abraham, Natasha; Rybicki, Edward P.; Martin, Darren; Pietersen, Gerhard; Esterhuizen, Lindy L.

2012-01-01

The family Geminiviridae comprises a group of plant-infecting circular ssDNA viruses that severely constrain agricultural production throughout the temperate regions of the world, and are a particularly serious threat to food security in sub-Saharan Africa. While geminiviruses exhibit considerable diversity in terms of their nucleotide sequences, genome structures, host ranges and insect vectors, the best characterised and economically most important of these viruses are those in the genus Begomovirus. Whereas begomoviruses are generally considered to be either monopartite (one ssDNA component) or bipartite (two circular ssDNA components called DNA-A and DNA-B), many apparently monopartite begomoviruses are associated with additional subviral ssDNA satellite components, called alpha- (DNA-αs) or betasatellites (DNA-βs). Additionally, subgenomic molecules, also known as defective interfering (DIs) DNAs that are usually derived from the parent helper virus through deletions of parts of its genome, are also associated with bipartite and monopartite begomoviruses. The past three decades have witnessed the emergence and diversification of various new begomoviral species and associated DI DNAs, in southern Africa, East Africa, and proximal Indian Ocean islands, which today threaten important vegetable and commercial crops such as, tobacco, cassava, tomato, sweet potato, and beans. This review aims to describe what is known about these viruses and their impacts on sustainable production in this sensitive region of the world. PMID:23170182

Late Pleistocene shifts in Northeast African hydroclimate and the Out-of-Africa migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tierney, J. E.; deMenocal, P. B.; Zander, P. D.

2016-12-01

The major "Out-of-Africa" migration of modern humans is hypothesized to have occurred ca. 60,000-80,000 yr BP, with populations crossing the Red Sea via either the Bab al Mandeb strait or the Sinai Peninsula. The role of climatic and environmental pressures in driving the migration has long been a topic of debate. While paleoclimate data from southern East Africa generally show evidence for climatic instability during the Out-Of-Africa interval, no data has been available from northeast Africa, the region from which haplogroup L3, the most common parental lineage for humans outside Africa, dispersed. Here we present leaf wax hydrogen isotope data measured in a marine sediment core that provide a clear picture of how Northeast African climate has varied during the past 200,000 years. The data show that wet periods are generally in-phase with Northern hemisphere summer insolation, with MIS 7a emerging as the wettest "African Humid Period" of the last 200 ka. Interestingly, Stages 5e, 5c, and 5a are comparably wet. Last glacial aridity does not begin in earnest until ca. 75 ka, with an abrupt drop out of mesic Stage 5 conditions followed by a descent into very dry conditions during Stage 4. The timing of this wet-to-dry transition compares well with the estimated timing of Out-of-Africa migration from genetic data, suggesting that climatic deterioration could have been an impetus for early humans to leave northeast Africa.

Warming and Cooling: The Medieval Climate Anomaly in Africa and Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lüning, Sebastian; Gałka, Mariusz; Vahrenholt, Fritz

2017-11-01

The Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) is a well-recognized climate perturbation in many parts of the world, with a core period of 1000-1200 Common Era. Here we present a palaeotemperature synthesis for the MCA in Africa and Arabia, based on 44 published localities. The data sets have been thoroughly correlated and the MCA trends palaeoclimatologically mapped. The vast majority of available Afro-Arabian onshore sites suggest a warm MCA, with the exception of the southern Levant where the MCA appears to have been cold. MCA cooling has also been documented in many segments of the circum-Africa-Arabian upwelling systems, as a result of changes in the wind systems which were leading to an intensification of cold water upwelling. Offshore cores from outside upwelling systems mostly show warm MCA conditions. The most likely key drivers of the observed medieval climate change are solar forcing and ocean cycles. Conspicuous cold spikes during the earliest and latest MCA may help to discriminate between solar (Oort Minimum) and ocean cycle (Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, AMO) influence. Compared to its large share of nearly one quarter of the world's landmass, data from Africa and Arabia are significantly underrepresented in global temperature reconstructions of the past 2,000 years. Onshore data are still absent for most regions in Africa and Arabia, except for regional data clusters in Morocco, South Africa, the East African Rift, and the Levant coast. In order to reconstruct land palaeotemperatures more robustly over Africa and Arabia, a systematic research program is needed.

Land Cover Mapping for the Development of Green House Gas (GHG) Inventories in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wakhayanga, J. A.; Oduor, P.; Korme, T.; Farah, H.; Limaye, A. S.; Irwin, D.; Artis, G.

2014-12-01

Anthropogenic activities are responsible for the largest share of green house gas (GHG) emissions. Research has shown that greenhouse gases cause radioactive forcing in the stratosphere, leading to ozone depletion. Different land cover types act as sources or sinks of carbon dioxide (CO2), the most dominant GHG.Under the oversight of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region countries are developing Sustainable National GHG Inventory Management Systems. While the countries in the ESA region are making substantial progress in setting up GHG inventories, there remains significant constraints in the development of quality and sustainable National GHG Inventory Systems. For instance, there are fundamental challenges in capacity building and technology transfer, which can affect timely and consistent reporting on the land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) component of the GHG inventory development. SERVIR Eastern and Southern Africa is a partnership project between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), an intergovernmental organization in Africa, with 21 member states in the ESA region. With support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), SERVIR ESA is implementing the GHG Project in 9 countries. The main deliverables of the project are land cover maps for the years 2000 and 2010 (also 1990 for Malawi and Rwanda), and related technical reports, as well as technical training in land cover mapping using replicable methodologies. Landsat imagery which is freely available forms the main component of earth observation input data, in addition to ancillary data collected from each country. Supervised classification using maximum likelihood algorithm is applied to the Landsat images. The work is completed for the initial 6 countries (Malawi, Zambia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Botswana, and

Great Dike of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwae, Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The Great Dike of Zimbabwe (17.5S, 31.5E) bisects the entire length of Zimbabwae in southern Africa and is one of the prominent visual features easily recognized from low orbit. The volcanic rocks which make up the dike are about 1.2 billion years old and are rich in chromite and platinum which are mined from it. The straight line of the dike is offset in places by faults which are often occupied by streams flowing through the fractures.

Update on HIV-1 acquired and transmitted drug resistance in Africa.

PubMed

Ssemwanga, Deogratius; Lihana, Raphael W; Ugoji, Chinenye; Abimiku, Alash'le; Nkengasong, John; Dakum, Patrick; Ndembi, Nicaise

2015-01-01

The last ten years have witnessed a significant scale-up and access to antiretroviral therapy in Africa, which has improved patient quality of life and survival. One major challenge associated with increased access to antiretroviral therapy is the development of antiretroviral resistance due to inconsistent drug supply and/or poor patient adherence. We review the current state of both acquired and transmitted drug resistance in Africa over the past ten years (2001-2011) to identify drug resistance associated with the different drug regimens used on the continent and to help guide affordable strategies for drug resistance surveillance. A total of 161 references (153 articles, six reports and two conference abstracts) were reviewed. Antiretroviral resistance data was available for 40 of 53 African countries. A total of 5,541 adult patients from 99 studies in Africa were included in this analysis. The pooled prevalence of drug resistance mutations in Africa was 10.6%, and Central Africa had the highest prevalence of 54.9%. The highest prevalence of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor mutations was in the west (55.3%) and central (54.8%) areas; nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor mutations were highest in East Africa (57.0%) and protease inhibitors mutations highest in Southern Africa (16.3%). The major nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor mutation in all four African regions was M184V. Major nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor as well as protease inhibitor mutations varied by region. The prevalence of drug resistance has remained low in several African countries although the emergence of drug resistance mutations varied across countries. Continued surveillance of antiretroviral therapy resistance remains crucial in gauging the effectiveness of country antiretroviral therapy programs and strategizing on effective and affordable strategies for successful treatment.

Decolonizing Bioethics in Africa

PubMed Central

Macaulay-Adeyelure, O.C.

2017-01-01

The global spread of bioethics from its North-American and European provenance to non-Western societies is currently raising some concerns. Part of the concern has to do with whether or not the exportation of bioethics in its full Western sense to developing non-Western states is an instance of ethical imperialism or bioethical neocolonialism. This paper attempts an exploration of this debate in the context of bioethics in sub-Saharan Africa. Rather than conceding that bioethics has a colonial agenda in Africa, this paper defends the position that the current bioethics trend in sub-Saharan Africa is an unintended imperialistic project. It argues that its colonizing character is not entirely a product of the Western programmed goals of training and institution building; rather, it is a structural consequence of many receptive African minds and institutions. Though bioethics in Africa is turning out as a colonizing project, one serious implication of such trend, if unchecked urgently, is that bioethics’ invaluable relevance to Africa is being incapacitated. This paper, therefore, attempts a decolonizing trajectory of bioethics in Africa. Contrary to the pretense of ‘African bioethics,’ which some African scholars are now defending, this paper through the logic of decolonization makes case for ‘bioethics in Africa’. In such logic, the principle of existential needs is prioritized over the principle of identity and authenticity that define African voice in bioethics. PMID:28344985

Physics in Africa: The Case of South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mangaliso, Mzamo P.

2009-03-01

South Africa plays a special role in building science throughout Africa. The areas of science, particularly those related to physics, which are being developed, will be described together with the involvement of other African countries. Data will be presented that demonstrate the high attrition rate that exists especially in the science track PhD pipeline and highlight the bottleneck at the honors (fourth year) level. Programs designed to overcome this will be presented, and their success discussed. Thoughts on how to go about expanding the interactions between US scientists and South African scientists as well as with African scientists will be presented.

Africa's present and future needs in toxicology education: Southern African perspective.

PubMed

Gulumian, Mary; Ginsburg, Carren; Stewart, Michael J

2005-09-01

Degrees and diplomas as well as certificates that are granted by universities and technikons in South Africa in scientific disciplines, such as forensic medicine, pharmacology, marine and veterinary sciences, environmental health, and occupational hygiene, include toxicology as one of the subjects in their overall syllabus. However, aspects of toxicology included in each of these courses are biased towards that particular subdiscipline and basic level of toxicology may be taught. Educational needs in toxicology in South Africa can be summarized as follows: (a) recognition of toxicology as a discipline in its own right at these tertiary education institutions and (b) creation of opportunities to study and obtain higher degrees in one or more of the many subdisciplines of toxicology. The results from a survey conducted on the toxicology syllabi offered at these tertiary education institutions are used to substantiate these needs.

The Intraplate Earthquakes of SE Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fonseca, J. F. B. D.; Domingues, A.

2014-12-01

Southeast Africa is a region of complex tectonic inheritance, combining early Archean cratonic blocks - the Zimbabwe and Kaapvaal cratons - and several collision belts ranging in age from ~2.6Ga (Limpopo Belt) to the Pan-African Orogeny, 800-500 Ma ago (Zambezi Belt, Mozambique Belt). Mesozoic rifting was the last tectonic event to leave an imprint in the lithosphere of the region. Tertiary deformation is mild and related to the extensional regime of the East African Rift System (EARS) further north. Instrumental seismology started in Johannesburg in 1910 (Saunders et al., 2008). Ambraseys and Adams (1991) conducted a reappraisal of the seismicity of Sub-Saharan Africa from 1900 to 1930, and the compilations by Krige and Maree (1948) and Gutenberg and F. Richter (1949) are main sources for the two subsequent decades. The available data can be considered complete since 1900 for magnitudes above M6 (Ambraseys and Adams, 1991), although major epicentral errors are likely to affect the early decades. Earthquakes above this threshold in the region to the south of Lake Malawi and to the east of the Okavango Rift are reported in 1919 (MS6.5, NE South Africa), 1932 (MS6.8, Natal Bay), 1940 (MS6.2, SE Mozambique), 1951 (MS6.0, Central Mozambique), 1957 (M6.0, Central Mozambique), again in 1957 (M6.2, Central Mozambique), 1958 (M6.0, Southern Zimbabwe), 1959 (M6.1, Southern Zambia) and 2006 (M7.0, Central Mozambique). The four M>6 earthquakes from 1957 to 1959 configure a cluster in time, followed by a shutdown (at M>6) that was to last nearly five decades. While a coincidence is unlikely, a causal link is challenged by the large spatial scatter of about 500 km. However, the fact that the four earthquakes occurred on the border of the Zimbabwe craton may provide a clue to the mechanism promoting the clustering. We combine these data with recent seismicity results (Fonseca et al., 2014) to discuss possible factors controlling the seismotectonics of the region.

60,000 years of interactions between Central and Eastern Africa documented by major African mitochondrial haplogroup L2.

PubMed

Silva, Marina; Alshamali, Farida; Silva, Paula; Carrilho, Carla; Mandlate, Flávio; Jesus Trovoada, Maria; Černý, Viktor; Pereira, Luísa; Soares, Pedro

2015-07-27

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup L2 originated in Western Africa but is nowadays spread across the entire continent. L2 movements were previously postulated to be related to the Bantu expansion, but L2 expansions eastwards probably occurred much earlier. By reconstructing the phylogeny of L2 (44 new complete sequences) we provide insights on the complex net of within-African migrations in the last 60 thousand years (ka). Results show that lineages in Southern Africa cluster with Western/Central African lineages at a recent time scale, whereas, eastern lineages seem to be substantially more ancient. Three moments of expansion from a Central African source are associated to L2: (1) one migration at 70-50 ka into Eastern or Southern Africa, (2) postglacial movements (15-10 ka) into Eastern Africa; and (3) the southward Bantu Expansion in the last 5 ka. The complementary population and L0a phylogeography analyses indicate no strong evidence of mtDNA gene flow between eastern and southern populations during the later movement, suggesting low admixture between Eastern African populations and the Bantu migrants. This implies that, at least in the early stages, the Bantu expansion was mainly a demic diffusion with little incorporation of local populations.

60,000 years of interactions between Central and Eastern Africa documented by major African mitochondrial haplogroup L2

PubMed Central

Silva, Marina; Alshamali, Farida; Silva, Paula; Carrilho, Carla; Mandlate, Flávio; Jesus Trovoada, Maria; Černý, Viktor; Pereira, Luísa; Soares, Pedro

2015-01-01

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup L2 originated in Western Africa but is nowadays spread across the entire continent. L2 movements were previously postulated to be related to the Bantu expansion, but L2 expansions eastwards probably occurred much earlier. By reconstructing the phylogeny of L2 (44 new complete sequences) we provide insights on the complex net of within-African migrations in the last 60 thousand years (ka). Results show that lineages in Southern Africa cluster with Western/Central African lineages at a recent time scale, whereas, eastern lineages seem to be substantially more ancient. Three moments of expansion from a Central African source are associated to L2: (1) one migration at 70–50 ka into Eastern or Southern Africa, (2) postglacial movements (15–10 ka) into Eastern Africa; and (3) the southward Bantu Expansion in the last 5 ka. The complementary population and L0a phylogeography analyses indicate no strong evidence of mtDNA gene flow between eastern and southern populations during the later movement, suggesting low admixture between Eastern African populations and the Bantu migrants. This implies that, at least in the early stages, the Bantu expansion was mainly a demic diffusion with little incorporation of local populations. PMID:26211407

Resourcing resilience: social protection for HIV prevention amongst children and adolescents in Eastern and Southern Africa

PubMed Central

Toska, Elona; Gittings, Lesley; Hodes, Rebecca; Cluver, Lucie D.; Govender, Kaymarlin; Chademana, KE; Gutiérrez, Vincent Evans

2017-01-01

Adolescents are the only age group with growing AIDS-related morbidity and mortality in Eastern and Southern Africa, making HIV prevention research among this population an urgent priority. Structural deprivations are key drivers of adolescent HIV infection in this region. Biomedical interventions must be combined with behavioural and social interventions to alleviate the socio-structural determinants of HIV infection. There is growing evidence that social protection has the potential to reduce the risk of HIV infection among children and adolescents. This research combined expert consultations with a rigorous review of academic and policy literature on the effectiveness of social protection for HIV prevention among children and adolescents, including prevention for those already HIV-positive. The study had three goals: (i) assess the evidence on the effectiveness of social protection for HIV prevention, (ii) consider key challenges to implementing social protection programmes that promote HIV prevention, and (iii) identify critical research gaps in social protection and HIV prevention, in Eastern and Southern Africa. Causal pathways of inequality, poverty, gender and HIV risk require flexible and responsive social protection mechanisms. Results confirmed that HIV-inclusive child- and adolescent-sensitive social protection has the potential to interrupt risk pathways to HIV infection and foster resilience. In particular, empirical evidence (literature and expert feedback) detailed the effectiveness of combination social protection particularly cash/in-kind components combined with ‘care’ and ‘capability’ among children and adolescents. Social protection programmes should be dynamic and flexible, and take into account age, gender, HIV-related stigma, and context, including cultural norms, which offer opportunities to improve programmatic coverage, reach, and uptake. Effective HIV prevention also requires integrated social protection policies, developed

Resourcing resilience: social protection for HIV prevention amongst children and adolescents in Eastern and Southern Africa.

PubMed

Toska, Elona; Gittings, Lesley; Hodes, Rebecca; Cluver, Lucie D; Govender, Kaymarlin; Chademana, K Emma; Gutiérrez, Vincent Evans

2016-07-01

Adolescents are the only age group with growing AIDS-related morbidity and mortality in Eastern and Southern Africa, making HIV prevention research among this population an urgent priority. Structural deprivations are key drivers of adolescent HIV infection in this region. Biomedical interventions must be combined with behavioural and social interventions to alleviate the socio-structural determinants of HIV infection. There is growing evidence that social protection has the potential to reduce the risk of HIV infection among children and adolescents. This research combined expert consultations with a rigorous review of academic and policy literature on the effectiveness of social protection for HIV prevention among children and adolescents, including prevention for those already HIV-positive. The study had three goals: (i) assess the evidence on the effectiveness of social protection for HIV prevention, (ii) consider key challenges to implementing social protection programmes that promote HIV prevention, and (iii) identify critical research gaps in social protection and HIV prevention, in Eastern and Southern Africa. Causal pathways of inequality, poverty, gender and HIV risk require flexible and responsive social protection mechanisms. Results confirmed that HIV-inclusive child-and adolescent-sensitive social protection has the potential to interrupt risk pathways to HIV infection and foster resilience. In particular, empirical evidence (literature and expert feedback) detailed the effectiveness of combination social protection particularly cash/in-kind components combined with "care" and "capability" among children and adolescents. Social protection programmes should be dynamic and flexible, and consider age, gender, HIV-related stigma, and context, including cultural norms, which offer opportunities to improve programmatic coverage, reach and uptake. Effective HIV prevention also requires integrated social protection policies, developed through strong national

Where are we heading with HIV / AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa? The status and trends of HIV / AIDS / STD epidemics.

PubMed

Kerkhoven, R

1998-02-01

By the end of 1997, an estimated 20.8 million people in sub-Saharan Africa were infected with HIV, 68% of all HIV infections. At the Tenth Annual International Conference on STDs and AIDS in Africa held in Abidjan in 1997, the MAP network continued its series of pre-conference symposia on the shape and status of HIV/AIDS in the various continents. The outcome of the Abidjan symposium was then published in a provisional report made available to the main conference's participants. The main conclusions of the symposium with regard to the following areas and subjects are presented: West Africa, Central Africa, the Horn of Africa, Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, life expectancy, HIV/AIDS and STDs, data, determinants of the spread of HIV, the relative importance of determinants, poverty, understanding determinants, the national response, children and the spread of HIV, and the future.

[Matrimonial changes in Africa].

PubMed

Hertrich, V; Pilon, M

1997-01-01

A database of census and survey information on fertility and nuptiality in Africa being assembled by the French Center for Population and Development (CEPED) was the source for this analysis of changing marriage patterns. Early marriage for girls, nearly universal marriage for both sexes, rapid remarriage of reproductive-age widows and divorcees, polygamy, and a frequently large difference in the ages of the spouses are typical of African marriage. But a great variety of situations coexist. In the 1960s, the female age at first marriage was under 17.5 years on average in West Africa, while the male age was over 26. Nearly everyone married, and one-fourth to one-third of married men were polygamous. In South Africa, at the other extreme, the average age at first marriage was 20-23 for women and 26-30 for men, over 5% never married, and polygamy was rare. Nuptiality patterns were intermediate in North, Central, and East Africa. The most recent round of censuses and surveys show the geographic differences to be shrinking. Average age at first marriage for women is increasing everywhere and often exceeds 19 years. It remains lower than 17.5 in only two countries. The increase amounts to at least a half year for 30 countries and over 1 year for 15. Marriage remains nearly universal except in South Africa. Male age at marriage is rising more slowly than female age, causing the average age gap to decline. Economic difficulties and unemployment appear to play a significant role in the delay of marriage, with increased female school attendance also a factor, although secondary and higher education for females in sub-Saharan Africa is too uncommon to have perceptible effects on the national scale. In North Africa, the age at first birth has increased in tandem with increasing marriage age, but in sub-Saharan Africa the relationship has been less marked. In Lome, for example, the increasing age at first marriage for females has had no effect on age at first birth. The

Determinants of Smoking Cessation among Adolescents in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Panday, Saadhna; Reddy, S. Priscilla; Ruiter, Robert A. C.; Bergstrom, Erik; de Vries, Hein

2005-01-01

Data is required on the motivational determinants of smoking cessation among a multi-ethnic sample of adolescents in South Africa. The I-Change Model was used to explore the determinants of smoking cessation among a sample of 1267 Black African, Colored and White Grade 9-11 monthly smokers and former smokers in the Southern Cape-Karoo region.…

The genetic structure of Arabidopsis thaliana in the south-western Mediterranean range reveals a shared history between North Africa and southern Europe

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Deciphering the genetic structure of Arabidopsis thaliana diversity across its geographic range provides the bases for elucidating the demographic history of this model plant. Despite the unique A. thaliana genomic resources currently available, its history in North Africa, the extreme southern limit in the biodiversity hotspot of the Mediterranean Basin, remains virtually unknown. Results To approach A. thaliana evolutionary history in North Africa, we have analysed the genetic diversity and structure of 151 individuals collected from 20 populations distributed across Morocco. Genotyping of 249 genome-wide SNPs indicated that Morocco contains substantially lower diversity than most analyzed world regions. However, IBD, STRUCTURE and PCA clustering analyses showed that genetic variation is strongly geographically structured. We also determined the genetic relationships between Morocco and the closest European region, the Iberian Peninsula, by analyses of 201 populations from both regions genotyped with the same SNPs. These analyses detected four genetic groups, but all Moroccan accessions belonged to a common Iberian/Moroccan cluster that appeared highly differentiated from the remaining groups. Thus, we identified a genetic lineage with an isolated demographic history in the south-western Mediterranean region. The existence of this lineage was further supported by the study of several flowering genes and traits, which also found Moroccan accessions similar to the same Iberian group. Nevertheless, genetic diversity for neutral SNPs and flowering genes was higher in Moroccan than in Iberian populations of this lineage. Furthermore, we analyzed the genetic relationships between Morocco and other world regions by joint analyses of a worldwide collection of 337 accessions, which detected an additional weak relationship between North Africa and Asia. Conclusions The patterns of genetic diversity and structure of A. thaliana in Morocco show that North Africa

SERVIR-Africa: Developing an Integrated Platform for Floods Disaster Management in Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macharia, Daniel; Korme, Tesfaye; Policelli, Fritz; Irwin, Dan; Adler, Bob; Hong, Yang

2010-01-01

SERVIR-Africa is an ambitious regional visualization and monitoring system that integrates remotely sensed data with predictive models and field-based data to monitor ecological processes and respond to natural disasters. It aims addressing societal benefits including floods and turning data into actionable information for decision-makers. Floods are exogenous disasters that affect many parts of Africa, probably second only to drought in terms of social-economic losses. This paper looks at SERVIR-Africa's approach to floods disaster management through establishment of an integrated platform, floods prediction models, post-event flood mapping and monitoring as well as flood maps dissemination in support of flood disaster management.

Bleeding and Blood Disorders in Clients of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention - Eastern and Southern Africa, 2015-2016.

PubMed

Hinkle, Lawrence E; Toledo, Carlos; Grund, Jonathan M; Byams, Vanessa R; Bock, Naomi; Ridzon, Renee; Cooney, Caroline; Njeuhmeli, Emmanuel; Thomas, Anne G; Odhiambo, Jacob; Odoyo-June, Elijah; Talam, Norah; Matchere, Faustin; Msungama, Wezi; Nyirenda, Rose; Odek, James; Come, Jotamo; Canda, Marcos; Wei, Stanley; Bere, Alfred; Bonnecwe, Collen; Choge, Isaac Ang'Ang'A; Martin, Enilda; Loykissoonlal, Dayanund; Lija, Gissenge J I; Mlanga, Erick; Simbeye, Daimon; Alamo, Stella; Kabuye, Geoffrey; Lubwama, Joseph; Wamai, Nafuna; Chituwo, Omega; Sinyangwe, George; Zulu, James Exnobert; Ajayi, Charles A; Balachandra, Shirish; Mandisarisa, John; Xaba, Sinokuthemba; Davis, Stephanie M

2018-03-23

Male circumcision reduces the risk for female-to-male human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission by approximately 60% (1) and has become a key component of global HIV prevention programs in countries in Eastern and Southern Africa where HIV prevalence is high and circumcision coverage is low. Through September 2017, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) had supported 15.2 million voluntary medical male circumcisions (VMMCs) in 14 priority countries in Eastern and Southern Africa (2). Like any surgical intervention, VMMC carries a risk for complications or adverse events. Adverse events during circumcision of males aged ≥10 years occur in 0.5% to 8% of procedures, though the majority of adverse events are mild (3,4). To monitor safety and service quality, PEPFAR tracks and reports qualifying notifiable adverse events. Data reported from eight country VMMC programs during 2015-2016 revealed that bleeding resulting in hospitalization for ≥3 days was the most commonly reported qualifying adverse event. In several cases, the bleeding adverse event revealed a previously undiagnosed or undisclosed bleeding disorder. Bleeding adverse events in men with potential bleeding disorders are serious and can be fatal. Strategies to improve precircumcision screening and performance of circumcisions on clients at risk in settings where blood products are available are recommended to reduce the occurrence of these adverse events or mitigate their effects (5).

Gendered Patterns of Migration in Rural South Africa

PubMed Central

Camlin, Carol S.; Snow, Rachel C.; Hosegood, Victoria

2013-01-01

Gender is increasingly recognized as fundamental to understanding migration processes, causes and consequences. In South Africa, it is intrinsic to the social transformations fueling high levels of internal migration and complex forms of mobility. While female migration in Africa has often been characterized as less prevalent than male migration, and primarily related to marriage, in South Africa a feminization of internal migration is underway, fueled by women’s increasing labor market participation. In this paper, we report sex differences in patterns, trends and determinants of internal migration based on data collected in a demographic surveillance system between 2001 and 2006 in rural KwaZulu-Natal. We show that women were somewhat more likely than men to undertake any migration, but sex differences in migration trends differed by migration flow, with women more likely to migrate into the area than men, and men more likely to out-migrate. Out-migration was suppressed by marriage particularly for women, but most women were not married; both men’s and women’s out-migrations were undertaken mainly for purposes of employment. Over half of female out-migrations (versus 35% of male out-migrations) were to nearby rural areas. The findings highlight the high mobility of this population and the extent to which gender is intimately related to the processes determining migration. We consider the implications of these findings for the measurement of migration and mobility, in particular for health and social policy and research among highly mobile populations in southern Africa. PMID:25332690

Outcomes of Antiretroviral Treatment in Programmes with and without Routine Viral Load Monitoring in Southern Africa

PubMed Central

Keiser, Olivia; Chi, Benjamin H.; Gsponer, Thomas; Boulle, Andrew; Orrell, Catherine; Phiri, Sam; Maxwell, Nicola; Maskew, Mhairi; Prozesky, Hans; Fox, Matthew P; Westfall, Andrew; Egger, Matthias

2013-01-01

Objectives To compare outcomes of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in South Africa, where viral load monitoring is routine, with Malawi and Zambia, where monitoring is based on CD4 cell counts. Methods We included 18,706 adult patients starting ART in South Africa and 80,937 patients starting in Zambia or Malawi. We examined CD4 responses in models for repeated measures, and the probability of switching to second-line regimens, mortality and loss to follow-up in multi-state models, measuring time from six months. Findings In South Africa 9.8% (9.1–10.5%) had switched at 3 years, 1.3% (95% CI 0.9–1.6%) remained on failing first-line regimens, 9.2% (8.5–9.8%) were lost to follow-up and 4.3% (3.9–4.8%) had died. In Malawi and Zambia more patients were on a failing first-line regimen (3.7%, 3.6–3.9%), fewer patients had switched (2.1%, 2.0–2.3%) and more patients were lost (15.3%, 15.0–15.6%) or had died (6.3%, 6.0–6.5%). Median CD4 cell counts were lower in South Africa at start of ART (93 vs. 132 cells/µL, p<0.001) but higher after 3 years (425 vs. 383 cells/µL, p<0.001). The hazard ratio comparing South Africa with Malawi and Zambia, adjusted for age, sex, first-line regimen and CD4 cell count, was 0.58 (95% CI 0.50–0.66) for death and 0.53 (0.48–0.58) for loss to follow-up. Conclusions Over 3 years of ART mortality was lower in South Africa than in Malawi or Zambia. The more favourable outcome in South Africa might be explained by viral load monitoring leading to earlier detection of treatment failure, adherence counselling and timelier switching to second-line ART. PMID:21681057

Evidence of Tamarix hybrids in South Africa, as inferred by nuclear ITS and plastid trnS-trnG DNA sequences

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Tamarix usneoides (Tamaricaceae) is a species native to southern Africa where it is currently being used in the mines for phytoremediation. However, Tamarix aphylla, T. ramosissima, T. chinensis, and T. parviflora have been reported as exotic species in South Africa, with T. ramosissima declared inv...

Tropical Africa: Land use, biomass, and carbon estimates for 1980

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, S.; Gaston, G.; Daniels, R.C.

1996-06-01

This document describes the contents of a digital database containing maximum potential aboveground biomass, land use, and estimated biomass and carbon data for 1980 and describes a methodology that may be used to extend this data set to 1990 and beyond based on population and land cover data. The biomass data and carbon estimates are for woody vegetation in Tropical Africa. These data were collected to reduce the uncertainty associated with the possible magnitude of historical releases of carbon from land use change. Tropical Africa is defined here as encompassing 22.7 x 10{sup 6} km{sup 2} of the earth`s landmore » surface and includes those countries that for the most part are located in Tropical Africa. Countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and in southern Africa (i.e., Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Western Sahara) have maximum potential biomass and land cover information but do not have biomass or carbon estimate. The database was developed using the GRID module in the ARC/INFO{sup TM} geographic information system. Source data were obtained from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the U.S. National Geophysical Data Center, and a limited number of biomass-carbon density case studies. These data were used to derive the maximum potential and actual (ca. 1980) aboveground biomass-carbon values at regional and country levels. The land-use data provided were derived from a vegetation map originally produced for the FAO by the International Institute of Vegetation Mapping, Toulouse, France.« less

Mobilising indigenous resources for anthropologically designed HIV-prevention and behaviour-change interventions in southern Africa.

PubMed

Green, Edward C; Dlamini, Cedza; D'Errico, Nicole C; Ruark, Allison; Duby, Zoe

2009-12-01

HIV prevention is often implemented as if African culture were either nonexistent or a series of obstacles to overcome in order to achieve an effective, gender-equitable, human rights-based set of interventions. Similarly, traditional or indigenous leaders, such as chiefs and members of royal families, have been largely excluded from HIV/AIDS responses in Africa. This qualitative study used focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with traditional leaders and 'ritual specialists' to better understand cultural patterns and ways of working with, rather than against, culture and traditional leaders in HIV-prevention efforts. The research was carried out in four southern African countries (Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland). The purpose was to discover what aspects of indigenous leadership and cultural resources might be accessed and developed to influence individual behaviour as well as the prevailing community norms, values, sanctions and social controls that are related to sexual behaviour. The indigenous leaders participating in the research largely felt bypassed and marginalised by organised efforts to prevent HIV infections and also believed that HIV-prevention programmes typically confronted, circumvented, criticised or condemned traditional culture. However, indigenous leaders may possess innovative ideas about ways to change individuals' sexual behaviour in general. The participants discussed ways to revive traditional social structures and cultural mechanisms as a means to incorporate HIV-prevention and gender-sensitivity training into existing cultural platforms, such as rites of passage, chiefs' councils and traditional courts.

Developing a pheromone monitoring network in Africa for fall armyworm

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, was discovered infesting maize in São Tomé and Principe and Nigeria in early 2016. The pest species has since been discovered in almost every country in sub-Saharan Africa. Fall armyworm is migratory in North America, moving in the spring from southern ove...

Language in South Africa.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mesthrie, Rajend, Ed.

This collection of 24 papers focuses on language and society in South Africa. Part 1, "The Main Language Groupings," includes (1) "South Africa: A Sociolinguistic Overview" (R. Mesthrie); (2) "The Khoesan Languages" (A. Traill); (3) "The Bantu Languages: Sociohistorical Perspectives" (Robert K. Herbert and…

Poverty reduction in Africa

PubMed Central

Collier, Paul

2007-01-01

Poverty in Africa has been rising for the last quarter-century, while it has been falling in the rest of the developing world. Africa's distinctive problem is that its economies have not been growing. This article attempts to synthesize a range of recent research to account for this failure of the growth process. I argue that the reasons lie not in African peculiarities but rather in geographic features that globally cause problems but that are disproportionately pronounced in Africa. These features interact to create three distinct challenges that are likely to require international interventions beyond the conventional reliance on aid. PMID:17942702

Financing Vocational Training in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa Region Human Development Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ziderman, Adrian

This document is part of the World Bank's comprehensive study of post-basic education and training in Sub-Sahara Africa and includes findings from three short field studies conducted in South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbawe in early 2001. Chapter titles are as follows: Executive Summary; Introduction; Conventional Patterns of Financing Training;…

Africa's present and future needs in toxicology education: Southern African perspective

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gulumian, Mary; Ginsburg, Carren; Stewart, Michael J.

2005-09-01

Degrees and diplomas as well as certificates that are granted by universities and technikons in South Africa in scientific disciplines, such as forensic medicine, pharmacology, marine and veterinary sciences, environmental health, and occupational hygiene, include toxicology as one of the subjects in their overall syllabus. However, aspects of toxicology included in each of these courses are biased towards that particular subdiscipline and basic level of toxicology may be taught. Educational needs in toxicology in South Africa can be summarized as follows: (a) recognition of toxicology as a discipline in its own right at these tertiary education institutions and (b) creationmore » of opportunities to study and obtain higher degrees in one or more of the many subdisciplines of toxicology. The results from a survey conducted on the toxicology syllabi offered at these tertiary education institutions are used to substantiate these needs.« less

The cold climate geomorphology of the Eastern Cape Drakensberg: A reevaluation of past climatic conditions during the last glacial cycle in Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mills, S. C.; Barrows, T. T.; Telfer, M. W.; Fifield, L. K.

2017-02-01

Southern Africa is located in a unique setting for investigating past cold climate geomorphology over glacial-interglacial timescales. It lies at the junction of three of the world's major oceans and is affected by subtropical and temperate circulation systems, therefore recording changes in Southern Hemisphere circulation patterns. Cold climate landforms are very sensitive to changes in climate and thus provide an opportunity to investigate past changes in this region. The proposed existence of glaciers in the high Eastern Cape Drakensberg mountains, together with possible rock glaciers, has led to the suggestion that temperatures in this region were as much as 10-17 °C lower than present. Such large temperature depressions are inconsistent with many other palaeoclimatic proxies in Southern Africa. This paper presents new field observations and cosmogenic nuclide exposure ages from putative cold climate landforms. We discuss alternative interpretations for the formation of the landforms and confirm that glaciers were absent in the Eastern Cape Drakensberg during the last glaciation. However, we find widespread evidence for periglacial activity down to an elevation of 1700 m asl, as illustrated by extensive solifluction deposits, blockstreams, and stone garlands. These periglacial deposits suggest that the climate was significantly colder ( 6 °C) during the Last Glacial Maximum, in keeping with other climate proxy records from the region, but not cold enough to initiate or sustain glaciers or rock glaciers.

Cattle as a store of wealth in Swaziland: implications for livestock development and overgrazing in Eastern and Southern Africa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doran, M.H.; Low, A.R.C.; Kemp, R.L.

1979-02-01

The contention that cattle are held as a store of wealth in Swaziland is supported by a regression analysis of slaughter against price and rainfall, and by an examination of the Swazi herd structure. The failure to recognize that cattle directly satisfy both wealth and income motives in traditional societies has led to the implementation of production-oriented livestock development programs, which may worsen the serious overgrazing problem in Swaziland. Observations elsewhere indicate that there are lessons to be learned for livestock developemnt in other overgrazed parts of eastern and southern Africa. 17 references.

First archaeomagnetic field intensity data from Ethiopia, Africa (1615 ± 12 AD)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osete, María Luisa; Catanzariti, Gianluca; Chauvin, Annick; Pavón-Carrasco, Francisco Javier; Roperch, Pierrick; Fernández, Víctor M.

2015-05-01

First archaeointensity determinations have been obtained from Ethiopia. Seven bricks (34 specimens) from the Däbsan archaeological remains were subjected to archaeointensity determination by means of classical Thellier-Thellier experiment including tests for magnetic anisotropy and magnetic cooling rate dependency. The age of the Däbsan Palace is well controlled by historical information: between 1603, when land grants were conceded to the Jesuits and the Catholicism was established as the official religion in Ethiopia, and the age of the Palace foundation in 1626-27. Successful archaeointensity determinations were obtained in 27 specimens from five individual bricks revealing an average field value of 33.5 ± 1.1 μT, which is 11-26% lower than expected values from global geomagnetic models based on historical and archaeomagnetic data. Global models for 1615 AD predict a low in central-southern Africa related to past location of the present Southern Atlantic Anomaly (SAA). Our results suggest that the field intensity in central Africa may have been slightly lower than global model predictions. This would indicate that the low could be probably more extended towards central-eastern Africa (or more intense) than previously considered. Further data from this region are especially welcome to delineate the evolution of the SAA.

Obstacles to HIV prevention, treatment and care in selected public universities in South Africa.

PubMed

Mbatha, Blessing

2014-09-01

South Africa, like the rest of Southern Africa, is ravaged by AIDS. Higher education in South Africa has a significant role to play in the fight against the spread of HIV and AIDS. This article reports the factors contributing to the spread of HIV and AIDS in three selected public universities in South Africa. To achieve the stated aim, the study answered the following research question: What are the factors contributing to the spread of HIV and AIDS in South African public universities? The problem in this study stems from South Africa's HIV and AIDS infection rate, one of the highest in the world, especially in KwaZulu-Natal. A qualitative approach was adopted by conducting focus group interviews with the students. The data were analysed using axial coding and open coding, where dominant themes from the discussions were identified and discussed in detail. The findings show that barriers to HIV and AIDS prevention, care and treatment exist in the tertiary institutions under study. Social and economic interventions are needed to stem the spread of HIV and AIDS at tertiary institutions. A range of recommendations for halting the spread of HIV and AIDS in these institutions is provided.

Africa's middle class women bring entrepreneurial opportunities in breast care medical tourism to South Africa.

PubMed

Ahwireng-Obeng, Frederick; van Loggerenberg, Charl

2011-01-01

Africa's distribution of specialized private health services is severely disproportionate. Mismatch between South Africa's excess supply and a huge demand potential in an under-serviced continent represents an entrepreneurial opportunity to attract patients to South Africa for treatment and recuperative holidays. However, effective demand for intra-African medical tourism could be constrained by sub-Saharan poverty. Results from interviewing 320 patients and five staff at the Johannesburg Breast care Centre of Excellence, however, reject this proposition, Africa's middle class women being the target market estimated to grow annually by one million while breast cancer incidence increases with middle-class lifestyles. Uncovering this potential involves an extensive marketing strategy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Lessons from implementation of ecohealth projects in Southern Africa: A principal investigator's perspective.

PubMed

Chimbari, Moses John

2017-11-01

Ecohealth projects are designed to garner ownership among all stakeholders, such as researchers, communities, local leadership and policy makers. Ideally, designs should ensure that implementation goes smoothly and that findings from studies benefit the stakeholders, particularly bringing changes to the communities researched. Paradoxically, the process is fraught with challenges associated with implementation. Notwithstanding these challenges, evidence from projects implemented in southern Africa justify the need to invest in the subject of ecohealth. This paper describes and discusses a principal investigator's experience of leading ecohealth projects in Zimbabwe between 2002 and 2005, in Botswana between 2010 and 2014 and in South Africa (ongoing). The discourse is centred on issues of project management and leadership, transdisciplinarity, students' involvement, data management, community engagement, dissemination of research findings and the role of institutions in project management and implementation. The paper concludes that the ecohealth approach is valuable and should be encouraged making the following recommendations; 1) principal investigators must have a good understanding of socio-ecological systems, have excellent project management and writing skills, 2) more than one PI should be involved in the day-to-day running of the project in order to avoid disruption of project activities in the event that the PI leaves the project before it ends, 3) researchers should be trained in ecohealth principles and methodologies at the time of building the research teams, 4) full proposals should be developed with active participation of communities and stakeholders in order to develop a shared vision, 5) involvement of postdoctoral fellows and dedicated researchers with postgraduate students should be encouraged to avoid situations where some objectives are not fully addressed because of the narrow nature of students' work; and 6) citizen science should be

New craniodental fossils of papionin monkeys from Cooper's D, South Africa.

PubMed

Folinsbee, Kaila E; Reisz, Robert R

2013-08-01

Papionin monkey fossils are common in the Plio-Pleistocene aged karst cave deposits northwest of Johannesburg in South Africa. These deposits have yielded important primate and other vertebrate fauna since their discovery in the early part of the 20th century. In this article, we describe new primate cranial and dental specimens from excavations at the site of Cooper's D in the Sterkfontein Valley that date to around 1.5 million years ago. Unlike other localities in southern Africa, most of the new fossils are referred to Theropithecus oswaldi oswaldi, an extinct gramnivorous monkey related to the living gelada. Diagnostic features of T. o. oswaldi crania and teeth include large, thickly enameled molars with tall, columnar cusps, and high molar relief, an upright mandibular ramus, postorbital constriction, and anterior fusion of temporal lines. Also present in the new sample are teeth referred to Papio sp., which show low crowned bunodont molars, and a number of indeterminate papionin teeth and skull fragments. The presence of T. o. oswaldi at Cooper's D extends the list of known localities where the taxon is found, and may indicate the presence of an open, grassland environment in the area during the early Pleistocene. The abundance of theropith fossils at Cooper's suggests that Papio was not consistently the most common papionin in southern Africa over the past three million years. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Step Into Africa: Elementary Level Activities Using Africa Is Not a Country

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starbird, Caroline; Bahrenburg, Amy

2004-01-01

This book takes student inside the vast continent of Africa. The goal of these lessons is to provide young students with a look at contemporary Africa and to give them a feeling for the rich diversity of the many different nations of the continent. The lessons integrate language arts and geography, and some lessons include math. This book…

The Africa Collection: An Annotated Historical Resource Bibliography for the Student of Africa.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynn, Karen

This annotated bibliographic collection of resources on Africa including non-fiction, fiction, texts, poetry, draft papers, addresses, periodicals, film, records, and travel agencies is designed to aid secondary students and their teachers interested in research on Africa. An instructional approach is taken, drawing upon examples to demonstrate…

Africa's Megafans and Their Tectonic Setting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkinson, M. J.; Burke, K.

2016-01-01

fans lies on the western margin of the Congo Basin (Mayombe Swell), and on the coastal slopes of the Namibia Swell. Sheer size may have militated aginst the recognition of many megafans: the largest in the Sahara are the Teghahart (378 km, Hoggar Swell, Algeria), and the Wadi Albalata (340 km, Uweinat Swell, Egypt). In southern Africa the largest are the Cubango (320 km, Bié Swell, Angola/ Namibia), and the Limpopo (230 km, Mozambique). (ii) Rift zones (a) Steer's horns basins-wide depressions centered on rifts. The largest contiguous group (n=14) developed in a steer's-horns basin occupies the wide Muglad depression (200-350 km, South Sudan). Four rift-related megafans lie SE of Lake Chad (Chad). Nine megafans occupy the complex Anza Rift in Kenya/South Somalia. The Salamat megafan (Chad), is unusual because it oriented parallel with the linked Salamat, Doseo and Doba rift axes, and is consequently one of the longest in Africa (465 km). (b) Rift depressions sensu stricto. Most rifts are too narrow to provide a transverse dimension large enough to accommodate megafans. Although well-known, the Okavango Rift (NW Botswana, NE Namibia) is unique in Africa in hosting three megafans within identifiable faulted margins. The Nile megafan is Africa's largest (476 km) and comprises the vast Sudd wetland (South Sudan). An explanation for its remarkable size may be its location in a depression at the junction of two conducive tectonic zones, the East African Swell margin and the Muglad steer's-horns depression. Discharge of the River Nile, the largest in the region, has allowed the Nile megafan to outcompete neighboring megafans for space.

Teaching about Francophone Africa.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merryfield, Mary; Timbo, Adama

Lessons and resources for Social Studies and French courses are included in this document. The major goals of these materials are to help students (1) explore the history and geography of Francophone Africa, (2) examine French influences in contemporary Africa, (3) recognize and appreciate cultural differences and similarities in values and…

Distance Education in Southern Africa Conference, 1987. Papers 7: Late Submissions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adey, David, Comp.; And Others

Ten papers and four abstracts of papers from the University of South Africa's Conference on Distance Education are presented. They include: "Access to Higher Education and Training in the South Pacific: The Role of Telecommunications and Distance Education" (Som Naidu); "Distance Education in Japan" (Takashi Sakamoto);…

The Regionalization of Africa in Undergraduate Geography of Africa Textbooks, 1953 to 2004

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Roy

2008-01-01

This study examines the regionalization of Africa through analysis of forty-two English-language geography of Africa texts written for undergraduates between 1953 and 2004. Authors identify regions with reference to one or more variables. Some authors provided no explanation for their regionalization; others labored mightily to justify their…

Patterns of glacial-interglacial vegetation and climate variability in eastern South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupont, Lydie; Caley, Thibaut; Malaizé, Bruno; Giraudeau, Jacques

2010-05-01

Vegetation is an integrated part of the earth system and our understanding needs records of its glacial-interglacial variability. Although the data coverage for South Africa is slightly better than for some other parts of Africa, there are only very few records that allow us a glimpse of the vegetation history and development through one or more late Quaternary climate cycles. The existing evidence is fragmentary and in some cases contradictory. Marine sediments can offer here continuous sequences that cover large periods of time and provide a record of a signal that integrates rather large continental regions. Core MD96-2048 has been cored off the Limpopo River mouth at 26°10'S 34°01'E in 660 m water depth. This area is under the double influence of continental discharge and Agulhas current water advection. The sedimentation is slow and continuous. The upper 5 meter (down till 250 ka) have been analysed for pollen and spores at millennial resolution. The terrestrial pollen assemblages indicate that during interglacials the vegetation of eastern South Africa and southern Mozambique largely consisted of evergreen and deciduous forests with an increase of dry deciduous forest and open woodland during interglacial optima. During glacials open mountainous shrubland extended. The pattern strongly suggests a shifting of altitudinal vegetation belts in the mountains primarily depending on temperature, although the decline of forested areas during glacial times might also be the effect of low atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. This pattern in eastern South Africa differs from that suggested for western South Africa, where extension of the winter rain climate seems likely, and corroborates findings of increased C4 vegetation during the Glacial of eastern South Africa. The spread of dry deciduous forest and open woodland suggests a hot and dry climate during interglacial optima. The vegetation and climate of eastern South Africa seems to follow a mid to high

The genus Anthia Weber in the Republic of South Africa, Identification, distribution, biogeography, and behavior (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

PubMed Central

Mawdsley, Jonathan R.; Erwin, Terry L.; Sithole, Hendrik; Mawdsley, James L.; Mawdsley, Alice S.

2011-01-01

Abstract A key is presented for the identification of the four species of Anthia Weber (Coleoptera: Carabidae) recorded from the Republic of South Africa: Anthia cinctipennis Lequien, Anthia circumscripta Klug, Anthia maxillosa (Fabricius), and Anthia thoracica (Thunberg). For each of these species, illustrations are provided of adult beetles of both sexes as well as illustrations of male reproductive structures, morphological redescriptions, discussions of morphological variation, annual activity histograms, and maps of occurrence localities in the Republic of South Africa. Maps of occurrence localities for these species are compared against ecoregional and vegetation maps of southern Africa; each species of Anthia shows a different pattern of occupancy across the suite of ecoregions and vegetation types in the Republic of South Africa. Information about predatory and foraging behaviors, Müllerian mimicry, and small-scale vegetation community associations is presented for Anthia thoracica based on field and laboratory studies in Kruger National Park, South Africa. PMID:22144866

eGY-Africa: addressing the digital divide for science in Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petitdidier, Monique; Barton, Charles; Chukwuma, Victor; Cottrell, Les

2010-05-01

As the world of science becomes increasingly Internet-dependent, so the African scientists become increasingly isolated. eGY-Africa is a bottom-up initiative by African scientists and their collaborators to try to reduce this digital divide by a campaign of advocacy for better institutional facilities. The present status of Internet services, problems, and plans are being mapped via a combination of a survey questionnaire-based survey and direct measurement of Internet performance (the PingER Project). Information is being gathered on policy statements and initiatives aimed at reducing the Digital Divide. eGY-Africa is establishing National groups of concerned scientists and engaging with those initiatives with related goals. Finally, and perhaps most important of all, eGY-Africa is seeking to engage with the many other programs, initiatives, and bodies that share the goal of reducing the Digital Divide - either as a direct policy objective, or indirectly as a means to an end, such as the development of capabilities in science and technology in Africa. The expectation is that informed opinion from the scientific community at the institutional, national, and international levels can be used to influence the decision makers and donors who are in a position to deliver better Internet capabilities.

In Brief: New atlas of Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2008-07-01

A newly revised atlas of Africa features more than 300 satellite images that show striking before and after photographs of environmental changes spanning about 35 years. Africa: Atlas of Our Changing Environment, compiled by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), provides visual evidence of how development choices, population growth, climate change, and, in some cases, conflicts affect Africa, often negatively. The book includes photographs of shrinking glaciers on Mount Kilimanjaro as well as on Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains; deforestation along an expanding road system in the Congo; the drying up of Lake Chad; and the expansion of urban areas such as Cape Town, South Africa, and Dakar, Senegal. Satellite images also indicate some positive signs of environmental management, including action to stop overgrazing in a Tunisian national park, the effects of a management plan for a dam in Zambia that has helped restore seasonal flooding, and positive impacts of wetlands expansion around a national park in Mauritania. For more information, visit http://www.unep.org/dewa/africa/AfricaAtlas.

UNITED STATES SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES IN AFRICA

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-16

AIR WAR COLLEGE AIR UNIVERSITY UNITED STATES SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES IN AFRICA by Keith I. Crawford, Lt Col, USAF A Research Report... Africa Command in 2007 manifested recognition that the United States has increasing strategic national interests on the continent of Africa that are...importance of airborne ISR and basing access. Introduction In February of 2007, President George W. Bush announced the creation of Africa

The importance of family and community support for the health of HIV-affected populations in Southern Africa: what do we know and where to from here?

PubMed

Casale, Marisa

2015-02-01

Informal family and community support deriving from social relations can play an important role in protecting mental and physical health in resource-scarce contexts and may help facilitate health service access and uptake. Yet, to date, there has been surprisingly little empirical research investigating the role of social support as a resource for health in HIV-affected Southern African communities, despite the known importance of social connectedness, high rates of physical and mental health conditions, and existing 'treatment gaps'. This paper brings together and discusses findings of multiple linked analyses, from the first large-scale explanatory sequential mixed methods research investigating the relationship between social support and health with caregiver populations in HIV-endemic South Africa. Overall, findings highlight the protective role of social support for caregiver mental health, the multiple perceived psychological and behavioural mechanisms possibly explaining the relationship between social support and both mental and physical health, and gender differences in the provision, effects, and availability of support. Drawing from these findings and the broader literature, four potential foci for future research in Southern Africa are identified and discussed, as are implications for research design and methodologies. These involve achieving a better understanding of the following: The pathways and processes explaining common and differential effects of social support across different population groups; the potential protective role of social support for physical health; and the role of factors such as gender and social and cultural norms in shaping the relationship between social support and health. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Mental and physical health are closely related. HIV increases the risk of mental health conditions. Studies mainly from high-income countries have shown social relations and support to be

Urbanization in Africa since independence.

PubMed

Tarver, J D

1994-01-01

Over 185 million inhabitants were added to the urban areas of Africa between 1950 and 1990. Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland is the most highly urbanized, with 55% in 1990; while less than a quarter of Eastern Africa's population is living in urban centers. By the year 2015 more than half of Africa's population will be living in urban areas. Many parts of Africa have suffered prolonged droughts, overgrazing, locust infestations, and desertification. Millions have become refugees from natural disasters, political oppression, and rural poverty. The large exodus from Africa's rural areas has gone to cities but the large cities have attracted disproportionately large numbers of destitute migrants. Alexandria (1 million), Cairo (2.4 million) and the Witwatersrand in South Africa were the only African urban agglomerations with at least one million inhabitants in 1950. By 1990 the two Egyptian cities together had 12.7 million inhabitants and the Witwatersrand some 5 million, whereas the other 25 urban agglomerations with a million inhabitants each in 1990 had a total population of about 51 million. Lagos, Kinshasa, and Algiers ranged from 3 to 7.7 million. The capitals are the largest cities in at least 54 of the 59 countries and territories. Lagos, Nairobi, and Dar es Salaam are disproportionately larger than the next most populous cities in their countries. The 28 urban agglomerations with at least one million inhabitants had a total population of 70 million in 1990, and are projected to reach 100 million in the year 2000. Overall, Africa's urban population is projected to increase by approximately 135 million in the 1990-2000 decade (from 217 million to 352 million). About 105 million of the growth probably will occur in the smaller urban centers. The total African urban population is likely to reach one billion inhabitants within the next 50 years. It stood at 32 million in 1950. Presently, the United Nations projects 912 million urban residents

Smoking in Africa: the coming epidemic.

PubMed

Taha, A; Ball, K

1982-01-01

success. Smoking-related diseases have already made their appearance in Africa. The 2 most common types of cancer in the Natal Bantu are lung and esophageal tumors. Lung cancer in Natal men has increased 6-fold and in women about 5-fold over the past 11 years. Other studies from southern Africa show much higher smoking rates in patients with lung cancer than in controls. The incidence of esophageal cancer in blacks in Durban, South Africa, and Zimbabwe is among the highest in the world. Other suggestive associations with cigarette smoking in African subjects are bladder cancer, myocardial infarction, and chronic bronchitis. Many Western governments and health authorities now try to persuade people not to smoke, and in some developed countries consumption has already begun to fall. As a result, tobacco companies have started to diversify and intensify promotion of cigarettes and the growth of tobacco in the 3rd world.

Phylogenetic analysis of the haemagglutinin gene of current wild-type canine distemper viruses from South Africa: lineage Africa.

PubMed

Woma, Timothy Y; van Vuuren, Moritz; Bosman, Ana-Mari; Quan, Melvyn; Oosthuizen, Marinda

2010-07-14

There are no reports of CDV isolations in southern Africa, and although CDV is said to have geographically distinct lineages, molecular information of African strains has not yet been documented. Viruses isolated in cell cultures were subjected to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the complete H gene was sequenced and phylogenetically analysed with other strains from GenBank. Phylogenetic comparisons of the complete H gene of CDV isolates from different parts of the world (available in GenBank) with wild-type South African isolates revealed nine clades. All South African isolates form a separate African clade of their own and thus are clearly separated from the American, European, Asian, Arctic and vaccine virus clades. It is likely that only the 'African lineage' of CDV may be circulating in South Africa currently, and the viruses isolated from dogs vaccinated against CDV are not the result of reversion to virulence of vaccine strains, but infection with wild-type strains. (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genome-Wide Transcription and Functional Analyses Reveal Heterogeneous Molecular Mechanisms Driving Pyrethroids Resistance in the Major Malaria Vector Anopheles funestus Across Africa

PubMed Central

Riveron, Jacob M.; Ibrahim, Sulaiman S.; Mulamba, Charles; Djouaka, Rousseau; Irving, Helen; Wondji, Murielle J.; Ishak, Intan H.; Wondji, Charles S.

2017-01-01

Pyrethroid resistance in malaria vector, An. funestus is increasingly reported across Africa, threatening the sustainability of pyrethroid-based control interventions, including long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). Managing this problem requires understanding of the molecular basis of the resistance from different regions of the continent, to establish whether it is being driven by a single or independent selective events. Here, using a genome-wide transcription profiling of pyrethroid resistant populations from southern (Malawi), East (Uganda), and West Africa (Benin), we investigated the molecular basis of resistance, revealing strong differences between the different African regions. The duplicated cytochrome P450 genes (CYP6P9a and CYP6P9b) which were highly overexpressed in southern Africa are not the most upregulated in other regions, where other genes are more overexpressed, including GSTe2 in West (Benin) and CYP9K1 in East (Uganda). The lack of directional selection on both CYP6P9a and CYP6P9b in Uganda in contrast to southern Africa further supports the limited role of these genes outside southern Africa. However, other genes such as the P450 CYP9J11 are commonly overexpressed in all countries across Africa. Here, CYP9J11 is functionally characterized and shown to confer resistance to pyrethroids and moderate cross-resistance to carbamates (bendiocarb). The consistent overexpression of GSTe2 in Benin is coupled with a role of allelic variation at this gene as GAL4-UAS transgenic expression in Drosophila flies showed that the resistant 119F allele is highly efficient in conferring both DDT and permethrin resistance than the L119. The heterogeneity in the molecular basis of resistance and cross-resistance to insecticides in An. funestus populations throughout sub-Saharan African should be taken into account in designing resistance management strategies. PMID:28428243

Genome-Wide Transcription and Functional Analyses Reveal Heterogeneous Molecular Mechanisms Driving Pyrethroids Resistance in the Major Malaria Vector Anopheles funestus Across Africa.

PubMed

Riveron, Jacob M; Ibrahim, Sulaiman S; Mulamba, Charles; Djouaka, Rousseau; Irving, Helen; Wondji, Murielle J; Ishak, Intan H; Wondji, Charles S

2017-06-07

Pyrethroid resistance in malaria vector, An. funestus is increasingly reported across Africa, threatening the sustainability of pyrethroid-based control interventions, including long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). Managing this problem requires understanding of the molecular basis of the resistance from different regions of the continent, to establish whether it is being driven by a single or independent selective events. Here, using a genome-wide transcription profiling of pyrethroid resistant populations from southern (Malawi), East (Uganda), and West Africa (Benin), we investigated the molecular basis of resistance, revealing strong differences between the different African regions. The duplicated cytochrome P450 genes ( CYP6P9a and CYP6P9b ) which were highly overexpressed in southern Africa are not the most upregulated in other regions, where other genes are more overexpressed, including GSTe2 in West (Benin) and CYP9K1 in East (Uganda). The lack of directional selection on both CYP6P9a and CYP6P9b in Uganda in contrast to southern Africa further supports the limited role of these genes outside southern Africa. However, other genes such as the P450 CYP9J11 are commonly overexpressed in all countries across Africa. Here, CYP9J11 is functionally characterized and shown to confer resistance to pyrethroids and moderate cross-resistance to carbamates (bendiocarb). The consistent overexpression of GSTe2 in Benin is coupled with a role of allelic variation at this gene as GAL4-UAS transgenic expression in Drosophila flies showed that the resistant 119F allele is highly efficient in conferring both DDT and permethrin resistance than the L119. The heterogeneity in the molecular basis of resistance and cross-resistance to insecticides in An. funestus populations throughout sub-Saharan African should be taken into account in designing resistance management strategies. Copyright © 2017 Riveron et al.

Indo-Pacific sea surface temperature influences on failed consecutive rainy seasons over eastern Africa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoell, Andrew; Funk, Christopher C.

2014-01-01

Rainfall over eastern Africa (10°S–10°N; 35°E–50°E) is bimodal, with seasonal maxima during the "long rains" of March–April–May (MAM) and the "short rains" of October–November–December (OND). Below average precipitation during consecutive long and short rains seasons over eastern Africa can have devastating long-term impacts on water availability and agriculture. Here, we examine the forcing of drought during consecutive long and short rains seasons over eastern Africa by Indo-Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs). The forcing of eastern Africa precipitation and circulation by SSTs is tested using ten ensemble simulations of a global weather forecast model forced by 1950–2010 observed global SSTs. Since the 1980s, Indo-Pacific SSTs have forced more frequent droughts spanning consecutive long and short rains seasons over eastern Africa. The increased frequency of dry conditions is linked to warming SSTs over the Indo-west Pacific and to a lesser degree to Pacific Decadal Variability. During MAM, long-term warming of tropical west Pacific SSTs from 1950–2010 has forced statistically significant precipitation reductions over eastern Africa. The warming west Pacific SSTs have forced changes in the regional lower tropospheric circulation by weakening the Somali Jet, which has reduced moisture and rainfall over the Horn of Africa. During OND, reductions in precipitation over recent decades are oftentimes overshadowed by strong year-to-year precipitation variability forced by the Indian Ocean Dipole and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation.

Climatic controls on Later Stone Age human adaptation in Africa's southern Cape.

PubMed

Chase, Brian M; Faith, J Tyler; Mackay, Alex; Chevalier, Manuel; Carr, Andrew S; Boom, Arnoud; Lim, Sophak; Reimer, Paula J

2018-01-01

Africa's southern Cape is a key region for the evolution of our species, with early symbolic systems, marine faunal exploitation, and episodic production of microlithic stone tools taken as evidence for the appearance of distinctively complex human behavior. However, the temporally discontinuous nature of this evidence precludes ready assumptions of intrinsic adaptive benefit, and has encouraged diverse explanations for the occurrence of these behaviors, in terms of regional demographic, social and ecological conditions. Here, we present a new high-resolution multi-proxy record of environmental change that indicates that faunal exploitation patterns and lithic technologies track climatic variation across the last 22,300 years in the southern Cape. Conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum and deglaciation were humid, and zooarchaeological data indicate high foraging returns. By contrast, the Holocene is characterized by much drier conditions and a degraded resource base. Critically, we demonstrate that systems for technological delivery - or provisioning - were responsive to changing humidity and environmental productivity. However, in contrast to prevailing models, bladelet-rich microlithic technologies were deployed under conditions of high foraging returns and abandoned in response to increased aridity and less productive subsistence environments. This suggests that posited links between microlithic technologies and subsistence risk are not universal, and the behavioral sophistication of human populations is reflected in their adaptive flexibility rather than in the use of specific technological systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Models of public-private engagement for health services delivery and financing in Southern Africa: a systematic review.

PubMed

Whyle, Eleanor Beth; Olivier, Jill

2016-12-01

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the private sector-including international donors, non-governmental organizations, for-profit providers and traditional healers-plays a significant role in health financing and delivery. The use of the private sector in furthering public health goals is increasingly common. By working with the private sector through public -: private engagement (PPE), states can harness private sector resources to further public health goals. PPE initiatives can take a variety of forms and understanding of these models is limited. This paper presents the results of a Campbell systematic literature review conducted to establish the types and the prevalence of PPE projects for health service delivery and financing in Southern Africa. PPE initiatives identified through the review were categorized according to a PPE typology. The review reveals that the full range of PPE models, eight distinct models, are utilized in the Southern African context. The distribution of the available evidence-including significant gaps in the literature-is discussed, and key considerations for researchers, implementers, and current and potential PPE partners are presented. It was found that the literature is disproportionately representative of PPE initiatives located in South Africa, and of those that involve for-profit partners and international donors. A significant gap in the literature identified through the study is the scarcity of information regarding the relationship between international donors and national governments. This information is key to strengthening these partnerships, improving partnership outcomes and capacitating recipient countries. The need for research that disaggregates PPE models and investigates PPE functioning in context is demonstrated. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Mantle structure beneath eastern Africa: Evidence for a through going-mantle anomaly and its implications for the origin of Cenozoic tectonism in eastern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulibo, G.; Tugume, F.; Julia, J.

2012-12-01

In this study, teleseismic earthquakes recorded on over 60 temporary AfricaArray seismic stations deployed in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia between 2007 and 2011 are used to invert P and S travel time residuals, together with travel time residuals from previous deployments, for a 3D image of mantle wave speeds and for examining relief on transition zone discontinuities using receiver function stacks. Tomographic images reveal a low wave speed anomaly (LWA) that dips to the SW beneath northern Zambia, extending to a depth of at least 900 km. The anomaly appears to be continuous across the transition zone, extending into the lower mantle. Receiver function stacks reveal an average transition zone thickness (TZT) across a wide region extending from central Zambia to the NE through Tanzania and into Kenya, which is ~30-40 km thinner than the global average. These results are not easily explained by models for the origin of the Cenozoic tectonism in eastern Africa that invoke a plume head or small scale convection either by edge flow or passive stretching of the lithosphere. However, the depth extent of the LWA coincident with a thin transition zone is consistent with a model invoking a through-going mantle anomaly beneath eastern Africa that links anomalous upper mantle to the African Superplume anomaly in the lower mantle beneath southern Africa. This finding indicates that geodynamic processes deep in the lower mantle are influencing surface dynamics across the Afro-Arabian rift system.

Education and Indigenous Knowledge in Africa: Traditional Bonesetting and Orthopaedic Medicine in West Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ezeanya, Chika A.

The underlying philosophy of education in contemporary Africa has been established to be alien, and detached from the indigenous knowledge of the people. Modern day formal education in sub-Saharan Africa came about, for the most part, as a result of missionary activities and colonial efforts of Europe. The education bequeathed to Africa was, therefore, fundamentally European in paradigm and lacking in authenticity. The end of colonialism across sub-Saharan Africa did not herald any tangible transformation in the curriculum of study. Education in Africa is still dependent on foreign input for sustainability, thereby stifling research, creativity and innovation. Sustainable development is founded on indigenous knowledge. When such grassroots knowledge assumes the foundation of learning, home-grown development is easily fostered in all sectors of a national economy. In the field of medicine, indigenous knowledge of healing has been considered unscientific by western biomedical practitioners. Since the days of the missionaries, many Africans have considered indigenous medicine to be fetish; the Christian converts would not be associated with its practice and patronage. However, traditional bonesetting has been proven to be highly efficacious with little supernatural content, it continues to attract huge patronage from Africans, cutting across social and religious boundaries. This study attempts an exploration of the disconnect between indigenous knowledge, practices and learning, on the one hand, and formal education in Africa, on the other. With a focus on traditional bonesetting, the study seeks to determine why that branch of indigenous medicine attracts huge patronage, but is granted very little recognition by modern orthopaedic medical education.

Introductory Guide to Africa.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyss, Esther, Ed.

This guide seeks to be a tool for action and a resource for understanding some of the key issues concerning Africa today. Through a series of six sessions, participants focus on a particular theme or issue that links their community with the African context. The six sessions focus on: (1) "Building Connections with Africa"; (2)…

Inherited disorders in the Afrikaner population of southern Africa. Part I. Historical and demographic background, cardiovascular, neurological, metabolic and intestinal conditions.

PubMed

Botha, M C; Beighton, P

1983-10-08

Certain genetic disorders occur with unusually high frequency in the Afrikaner population of southern Africa. Conditions of this type (reviewed in Part I of this article) include familial hypercholesterolaemia, progressive familial heart block, Huntington's chorea, porphyria variegata, Gaucher's disease, cystic fibrosis and familial colonic polyposis. This genetic situation is explicable to some extent on the basis of the demographic development of the Afrikaner population during the 14 generations since the arrival of the first immigrants from Holland more than 330 years ago.

Multiple cenozoic invasions of Africa by penguins (Aves, Sphenisciformes)

PubMed Central

Ksepka, Daniel T.; Thomas, Daniel B.

2012-01-01

Africa hosts a single breeding species of penguin today, yet the fossil record indicates that a diverse array of now-extinct taxa once inhabited southern African coastlines. Here, we show that the African penguin fauna had a complex history involving multiple dispersals and extinctions. Phylogenetic analyses and biogeographic reconstructions incorporating new fossil material indicate that, contrary to previous hypotheses, the four Early Pliocene African penguin species do not represent an endemic radiation or direct ancestors of the living Spheniscus demersus (blackfooted penguin). A minimum of three dispersals to Africa, probably assisted by the eastward-flowing Antarctic Circumpolar and South Atlantic currents, occurred during the Late Cenozoic. As regional sea-level fall eliminated islands and reduced offshore breeding areas during the Pliocene, all but one penguin lineage ended in extinction, resulting in today's depleted fauna. PMID:21900330

Orange River, Africa

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-01-20

STS072-738-036 (11-20 Jan. 1996) --- The astronauts used a 70mm handheld camera to expose this frame of the west-flowing Orange River, which constitutes the international boundary between Namibia and the Republic of South Africa. The railroad and highway connecting the two countries is seen as a ribbon crossing the corner of the view. The broad color difference between strong browns/reds in the northern half of the view and lighter yellows in the southern corresponds to two land surfaces. The darker is a higher, flat land surface developed on horizontal Nama Sandstone’s, with rock surfaces widely coated with a dark manganese stain, typical of desert regions. This region is known as Namaqualand and borders the Namib Desert. Where rivers have cut down into this surface, the lighter underlying rock and soil colors show up.

Nocturnal low-level jet and low-level cloud occurrence over Southern West Africa during DACCIWA campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dione, Cheikh; Lohou, Fabienne; Lothon, Marie; Kaltoff, Norbert; Adler, Bianca; Babić, Karmen; Pedruzo-Bagazgoitia, Xabier

2017-04-01

During the summer monsoon period in West Africa, a nocturnal low-level jet (NLLJ) is frequently observed and is associated with the formation of a low-level deck of stratus or stratocumulus clouds over the southern domain of this region. The understanding of the mechanisms controlling the diurnal cycle of the low-level cloud (LLC) is one of the goals of the DACCIWA (Dynamics-aerosol-chemistry-cloud interactions in West Africa) project. During the ground campaign, which took place in June-July 2016, numerous instruments devoted to document the atmospheric boundary-layer dynamics and thermodynamics, clouds, aerosols and precipitation were deployed at Kumasi (Ghana), Savè (Benin) and Ile-Ife (Nigeria) supersites. Several parameters can influence the LLC formation: these are the large-scale conditions, but also local parameters such as stability, the interaction between Monsoon and Harmattan flows and turbulence. It has been pointed out in previous studies that the NLLJ plays a key role in LLC formation. Therefore, based on 49 nights of observations, our study focuses on the possible link between NLLJ and the formation, evolution and dissipation of the LLC over Savè. The characteristics of LLCs (onset, evolution and dissipation time, base height and thickness) are investigated using data from the ceilometer, infrared cloud camera, and frequent and normal radiosoundings. The UHF wind profiler data are used to estimate the occurrence of the NLLJ as well as the depth of the monsoon flow.

Assessment of shale-gas resources of the Karoo Province, South Africa and Lesotho, Africa, 2016

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brownfield, Michael E.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Klett, Timothy R.; Pitman, Janet K.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Le, Phuong A.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Finn, Thomas M.

2016-07-08

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resource of 44.5 trillion cubic feet of shale gas in the Karoo Province of South Africa and Lesotho, Africa.

A progressively wetter climate in southern East Africa over the past 1.3 million years.

PubMed

Johnson, T C; Werne, J P; Brown, E T; Abbott, A; Berke, M; Steinman, B A; Halbur, J; Contreras, S; Grosshuesch, S; Deino, A; Scholz, C A; Lyons, R P; Schouten, S; Damsté, J S Sinninghe

2016-09-08

African climate is generally considered to have evolved towards progressively drier conditions over the past few million years, with increased variability as glacial-interglacial change intensified worldwide. Palaeoclimate records derived mainly from northern Africa exhibit a 100,000-year (eccentricity) cycle overprinted on a pronounced 20,000-year (precession) beat, driven by orbital forcing of summer insolation, global ice volume and long-lived atmospheric greenhouse gases. Here we present a 1.3-million-year-long climate history from the Lake Malawi basin (10°-14° S in eastern Africa), which displays strong 100,000-year (eccentricity) cycles of temperature and rainfall following the Mid-Pleistocene Transition around 900,000 years ago. Interglacial periods were relatively warm and moist, while ice ages were cool and dry. The Malawi record shows limited evidence for precessional variability, which we attribute to the opposing effects of austral summer insolation and the temporal/spatial pattern of sea surface temperature in the Indian Ocean. The temperature history of the Malawi basin, at least for the past 500,000 years, strongly resembles past changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide and terrigenous dust flux in the tropical Pacific Ocean, but not in global ice volume. Climate in this sector of eastern Africa (unlike northern Africa) evolved from a predominantly arid environment with high-frequency variability to generally wetter conditions with more prolonged wet and dry intervals.

Sub-Saharan Africa Report: No. 2788

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-04-21

Technip CEO, Jacques Celerier Interview Technip Operations Famine Threatens 50 Million Africans (WEST AFRICA, 11 Apr 83...exports. 2 First, Jacques Celerier, chief executive officer of the Technip group, the leading French engineering company which has just been awarded the...Interview With Technip CEO Dakar AFRICA in French Mar 83 pp 79-81 [Interview with Jacques Celerier, chief executive officer of Technip: "Africa Has One

Out of Africa: modern human origins special feature: middle and later Pleistocene hominins in Africa and Southwest Asia.

PubMed

Rightmire, G Philip

2009-09-22

Approximately 700,000 years ago, Homo erectus in Africa was giving way to populations with larger brains accompanied by structural adjustments to the vault, cranial base, and face. Such early Middle Pleistocene hominins were not anatomically modern. Their skulls display strong supraorbital tori above projecting faces, flattened frontals, and less parietal expansion than is the case for Homo sapiens. Postcranial remains seem also to have archaic features. Subsequently, some groups evolved advanced skeletal morphology, and by ca. 200,000 years ago, individuals more similar to recent humans are present in the African record. These fossils are associated with Middle Stone Age lithic assemblages and, in some cases, Acheulean tools. Crania from Herto in Ethiopia carry defleshing cutmarks and superficial scoring that may be indicative of mortuary practices. Despite these signs of behavioral innovation, neither the Herto hominins, nor others from Late Pleistocene sites such as Klasies River in southern Africa and Skhūl/Qafzeh in Israel, can be matched in living populations. Skulls are quite robust, and it is only after approximately 35,000 years ago that people with more gracile, fully modern morphology make their appearance. Not surprisingly, many questions concerning this evolutionary history have been raised. Attention has centered on systematics of the mid-Pleistocene hominins, their paleobiology, and the timing of dispersals that spread H. sapiens out of Africa and across the Old World. In this report, I discuss structural changes characterizing the skulls from different time periods, possible regional differences in morphology, and the bearing of this evidence on recognizing distinct species.

An exploration of interpersonal violence among Holocene foragers of Southern Africa.

PubMed

Pfeiffer, Susan

2016-06-01

A common assertion that humans are inherently aggressive toward one another is based in part on interpretation of anthropological evidence, including observational reports of Khoesan immediate-return hunter-gatherers of southern Africa. Bioarchaeological evidence from 446 dated South African Cape Holocene skeletons representing Khoesan ancestors provides an opportunity to review approaches to interpersonal conflict over thousands of years. A synthesis of paleodemographic and skeletal information suggests a complex picture. The pattern noted among descendant Khoesan groups of male killings via poison arrows is not discernable in ancestral demography. Published reports of healed cranial trauma are not geographically localized; most are adult men, and some can be parsimoniously explained as the outcomes of accidents. Skeletons with unhealed perimortem lesions are limited to the southwestern region, at dates around 2500 years ago; most are women and children. The perimortem skeletal trauma is contemporaneous with a period during which a transitory decline in adult stature occurs throughout the Cape but not in the region with the apparent violence. This suggests a novel, transient social pattern in that community. In sum, the disparate patterns of antemortem and perimortem trauma among these Holocene foragers support a narrative that emphasizes the situational nature, and the general rarity, of interpersonal violence. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical safety of cassava products in regions adopting cassava production and processing--experience from Southern Africa.

PubMed

Nyirenda, D B; Chiwona-Karltun, L; Chitundu, M; Haggblade, S; Brimer, L

2011-03-01

The cassava belt area in Southern Africa is experiencing an unforeseen surge in cassava production, processing and consumption. Little documentation exists on the effects of this surge on processing procedures, the prevailing levels of cyanogenic glucosides of products consumed and the levels of products commercially available on the market. Risk assessments disclose that effects harmful to the developing central nervous system (CNS) may be observed at a lower exposure than previously anticipated. We interviewed farmers in Zambia and Malawi about their cultivars, processing procedures and perceptions concerning cassava and chemical food safety. Chips, mixed biscuits and flour, procured from households and markets in three regions of Zambia (Luapula-North, Western and Southern) as well as products from the Northern, Central and Southern regions of Malawi, were analyzed for total cyanogenic potential (CNp). Processed products from Luapula showed a low CNp, <10 mg HCN equiv./kg air dried weight, while samples from Mongu, Western Province, exhibited high levels of CNp, varying from 50 to 290 mg HCN equiv./kg. Even the lowest level is five times higher than the recommended safety level of 10mg/kg decided on for cassava flour. Our results call for concerted efforts in promoting gender oriented processing technologies. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Holocene climate variability and oceanographic changes off western South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xueqin; Dupont, Lydie; E Meadows, Michael; Schefuß, Enno; Bouimetarhan, Ilham; Wefer, Gerold

2017-04-01

South Africa is located at a critical transition zone between subtropical and warm-temperate climate zones influenced by the Indian and Atlantic oceans. Presently, the seasonal changes of atmospheric and oceanic systems induce a pronounced rainfall seasonality comprised of two different rainfall zones over South Africa. How did this seasonality develop during the Holocene? To obtain a better understanding of how South African climates have evolved during the Holocene, we conduct a comprehensive spatial-temporal approach including pollen and dinoflagellate cyst records from marine sediment samples retrieved from the Namaqualand mudbelt, a Holocene terrigenous mud deposit on the shelf of western South Africa. The representation of different vegetation communities in western South Africa is assessed through pollen analysis of surface sediments. This approach allows for climate reconstructions of the summer rainfall zone (SRZ) using Group 1 (Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Phragmites-type and Typha) and winter rainfall zone (WRZ) using Group 2 (Restionaceae, Ericaceae, Anthospermum, Stoebe/Elytropappus-type, Cliffortia, Passerina, Artemisia-type and Pentzia-type) from a single marine archive. The fossil pollen data from gravity core GeoB8331-4 indicate contrasting climate patterns in the SRZ and WRZ especially during the early and middle Holocene. The rainfall amount in the SRZ is dominated by insolation forcing, while in the WRZ it is mainly attributed to the latitudinal position of the southern westerlies. Dinoflagellate cyst data show significantly different oceanographic conditions associated with climate changes on land. High percentages of autotrophic taxa like Operculodinium centrocarpum and Spiniferites spp. indicate warm and stratified conditions during the early Holocene, suggesting reduced upwelling. In contrast, the middle Holocene is characterized by a strong increase in heterotrophic taxa in particular Lejeunecysta paratenella and Echinidinium spp., indicating cool

Projections of Rapidly Rising Temperatures over Africa Under Low Mitigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Engelbrecht, Francois; Adegoke, Jimmy; Bopape, Mary-Jane; Naidoo, Mogesh; Garland, Rebecca; Thatcher, Marcus; McGregor, John; Katzfe, Jack; Werner, Micha; Ichoku, Charles;

Development of a locally sustainable functional food based on mutandabota, a traditional food in southern Africa.

PubMed

Mpofu, Augustine; Linnemann, Anita R; Sybesma, Wilbert; Kort, Remco; Nout, M J R; Smid, Eddy J

2014-05-01

A probiotic dairy product was developed on the basis of a traditional dish called mutandabota to enable resource-poor populations in southern Africa to benefit from a functional food. Mutandabota is widely consumed in rural southern Africa, making it an ideal food matrix to carry probiotics. First, a process to produce probiotic mutandabota was designed. Raw cow milk was boiled and subsequently cooled to ambient temperature (25°C). Next, dry pulp from the fruit of the baobab tree (Adansonia digitata L.) was added to the milk at a concentration of 4% (wt/vol). This mixture was inoculated with the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus yoba and left to ferment for 24h, while the growth of the bacterial culture was monitored. Final ingredients were then added to produce probiotic mutandabota that had 14% (wt/vol) baobab fruit pulp and 7% (wt/vol) sugar in cow milk. The pH of probiotic mutandabota was pH 3.5, which ensures that the product is microbiologically safe. The viable plate count of L. rhamnosus yoba increased from 5.8 ± 0.3 log cfu/mL at the point of inoculation to 8.8 ± 0.4 log cfu/mL at the moment of consumption, thereby meeting the criterion to have a viable count of the probiotic bacterium in excess of 6 log cfu/mL of a product. Baobab fruit pulp at 4% promoted growth of L. rhamnosus yoba with a maximal specific growth rate (μmax) of 0.6 ± 0.2/h at 30°C. The developed technology, though specific for this particular product, has potential to be applied for the delivery of probiotics through a variety of indigenous foods in different regions of the world. Upon consumption, probiotic mutandabota is expected to improve the population's intestinal health, which is especially relevant for vulnerable target groups such as children and elderly people. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lead ingestion as a potential contributing factor to the decline in vulture populations in southern Africa.

PubMed

Naidoo, V; Wolter, K; Botha, C J

2017-01-01

Vulture populations in southern Africa have been on the decline for years, which unlike the Asian vulture crisis, has no one specific cause. Reasons attributable are deliberate and secondary poisonings, drowning, power line injuries, electrocutions, traditional medicine ("muti" trade) and calcium deficiencies. However, lead toxicity as a potential causal factor is hardly mentioned. The potential for lead toxicity needs to be considered as substantial game hunting occurs in the region with little regulatory control on bullet types. In this study, we determined the whole blood lead concentrations of captive and wild vulture populations in South Africa and Namibia (n=185). Results were compared to previous published ranges indicative of background exposure (<10μg/dL), non-toxic point exposure based upon the range established from captive birds and subclinical exposure. In general, whole blood lead concentrations were higher for wild African White-backed vultures (Gyps africanus)(AWBV) than Cape vultures (G. coprotheres)(CGV) at 15.54±12.63μg/dL vs 12.53±8.88μg/dL (non-significantly different), while in the Bearded vultures (Gypaetus barbatus) no indication of exposure was evident. Very similar exposures resulted irrespective of the birds being in captivity or under wild, free-roaming conditions. A proportion of wild birds did, however, appear to be exposed to another source of lead than purely environmental (±12% and 30.6% for AWBV and CGV respectively). One bird, which had a whole blood concentration of 100μg/dL, died soon after capture. To find the relationship between whole blood lead concentration and likely exposure factors, birds were compared by their rural/urban location, vicinity to mines and surrounding soil lead concentrations. With no relationship being present for the latter factors, we believe that this is evidence that the portion of southern African vultures being exposed to unknown source of lead, which we suggest arises from leaded ammunition

Empowering biotechnology in southern Africa: establishment of a robust transformation platform for the production of transgenic industry-preferred cassava.

PubMed

Chetty, C C; Rossin, C B; Gruissem, W; Vanderschuren, H; Rey, M E C

2013-01-25

improvement in South Africa (SA), which can potentially be extended to other countries in southern Africa. The successful establishment of a robust cassava transformation and regeneration system in SA demonstrates the relevance of technology transfer to sub-Saharan Africa and highlights the importance of developing suitable and reliable techniques before their transfer to laboratories offering less optimal conditions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

First highlights of the Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in West Africa (DACCIWA) field campaigns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liousse, C.; Knippertz, P.; Flamant, C.; Adon, J.; Akpo, A.; Annesi-Maesano, I.; Assamoi, E.; Baeza, A.; Julien, B.; Bedou, M.; Brooks, B. J.; Chiu, J. Y. C.; Chiron, C.; Coe, H.; Danuor, S.; Djossou, J.; Evans, M. J.; Fayomi, B.; Fink, A. H.; Galy-Lacaux, C.; Gardrat, E.; Jegede, O.; Kalthoff, N.; Kedote, M.; Keita, S.; Kouame, K.; Konare, A.; Leon, J. F.; Mari, C. H.; Lohou, F.; Roblou, L.; Schlager, H.; Schwarzenboeck, A.; Toure, E. N.; Veronique, Y.

2016-12-01

The EU-funded project DACCIWA (Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in West Africa) is investigating the relationship between weather, climate, air pollution and health in southern West Africa. The air over the coastal region of West Africa is a unique mixture of natural and anthropogenic gases, liquids and particles, emitted in an environment, in which multi-layer cloud decks frequently form. These exert a large influence on the local weather and climate, which has never been studied in detail over West Africa: this information is currently not included in the majority of weather and climate models. For the first time, the entire chain of impacts of natural and manmade emissions on the West African atmosphere was investigated in a coordinated field campaign. As part of this campaign, three research aircraft (Falcon 20, Twin Otter and ATR) based in Lomé (Togo) flew targeted 50 missions over West Africa from 27 June to 16 July 2016. In that campaign also, three highly instrumented measuring sites inland were set up with weather balloons launched several times a day across the region. The main objective was to build robust statistics of cloud properties in southern West Africa in different chemical landscapes (background state, ship/flaring emissions, polluted megacities, agricultural and forest areas, dust from the Sahel/Sahara). In addition, DACCIWA scientists working on measurements of urban emissions, air pollution, and health have set up four urban sites in Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire) and Cotonou (Benin) focusing on main specific regional combustion sources (domestic fires, traffic and waste burning). Long-term measurements of gases and particles and census of hospital admissions for respiratory diseases were started in January 2015 and will continue until March 2017 to determine the links between human health and air pollution. Intensive measurement periods took place in July 2015, January 2016, and July 2016 (a final one is planned for January 2017) in

Environmental change at the southern Cape coast of South Africa as inferred from a high-resolution Holocene sediment record from Eilandvlei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wündsch, Michael; Haberzettl, Torsten; Meadows, Michael E.; Kirsten, Kelly L.; Meschner, Stephanie; Frenzel, Peter; Baade, Jussi; Daut, Gerhard; Mäusbacher, Roland; Kasper, Thomas; Quick, Lynne J.; Cawthra, Hayley C.; Zabel, Matthias

2016-04-01

The RAIN project (Regional Archives for Integrated iNvestigations), funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), focuses on closely integrated investigations of terrestrial and marine geoarchives from southern Africa in order to assess environmental changes during the late Quaternary. For this purpose, various marine and terrestrial sediment records from the three major rainfall zones of South Africa (winter-, summer- and year-round rainfall zone) were recovered and analysed applying a wide range of methods (e.g., sedimentology, seismic stratigraphy, geochronology, organic and inorganic geochemistry, mineralogy, stable isotopes, micropalaeontology, palynology). In this contribution, we present results and interpretations obtained from a 30.5 m sediment core retrieved from the coastal lake Eilandvlei located within the year-round rainfall zone. Geochemical investigations (Ca, Sr, total inorganic carbon) indicate major changes in the sediment carbonate contents which were linked to variations in the marine influence received at the site throughout the covered period. The interpretation of carbonates reflecting a varying marine influence is corroborated by micropalaeontological analyses (viz. ostracod and diatom assemblages) which reveal strong similarities with the geochemical data. In order to establish a reliable radiocarbon (14C) chronology for this record, it is of particular importance to consider the impact of 14C-depleted ("old") marine carbon contained in the measured samples causing reservoir effects. Therefore, two marine molluscan shells collected alive before AD 1950 ("pre-bomb") were analysed to determine the regional marine reservoir offset (ΔR). The obtained ΔR values of 134 ± 38 and 161 ± 38 14C yrs represent the first data available for the south coast of South Africa. However, the application of the resulting average ΔR = 148 ± 54 14C yrs for the calibration of the entire Eilandvlei record underestimates the

Third-line antiretroviral therapy in Africa: effectiveness in a Southern African retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Meintjes, Graeme; Dunn, Liezl; Coetsee, Marla; Hislop, Michael; Leisegang, Rory; Regensberg, Leon; Maartens, Gary

2015-01-01

An increasing number of patients in Africa are experiencing virologic failure on second-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) and those who develop resistance to protease inhibitors (PI) will require third-line ART, but no data on the outcomes of third-line are available from the region. We assessed the virologic outcomes and survival of patients started on salvage ART in a Southern African private sector disease management programme. Retrospective observational cohort study with linkage to the national death register. Adults (≥18 years) who started salvage ART between July 2007 and December 2011 were included. Salvage ART was defined by inclusion of darunavir or tipranavir in an ART regimen after having failed another PI. For Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis, patients were followed up until event, or censored at death (only for virologic outcomes), leaving the programme, or April 2014. 152 patients were included. Subtype was known for 113 patients: 111 (98 %) were infected with subtype C. All 152 had a genotype resistance test demonstrating major PI resistance mutations. Salvage drugs included were: darunavir/ritonavir (n = 149), tipranavir/ritonavir (n = 3), raltegravir (n = 58), and etravirine (n = 8). Median follow-up was 2.5 years (IQR = 1.5-3.3). 82.9 % achieved a viral load ≤400 copies/ml and 71.1 % ≤50 copies/ml. By the end of the study 17 (11.2 %) of the patients had died. The KM estimate of cumulative survival was 87.2 % at 2000 days. Virologic suppression was comparable to that demonstrated in clinical trials and observational studies of salvage ART drugs conducted in other regions. Few deaths occurred during short term follow-up. Third-line regimens for patients with multidrug resistant subtype C HIV in Africa are virologically and clinically effective.

Impacts of Climate Change on Malaria Transmission in Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eltahir, E. A. B.; Endo, N.; Yamana, T. K.

2017-12-01

Malaria is a major vector-borne parasitic disease transmitted to humans by Anopheles spp mosquitoes. Africa is the hotspot for malaria transmission where more than 90% of malaria deaths occur every year. Malaria transmission is an intricate function of climatic factors, which non-linearly affect the development of vectors and parasites. We project that the risk of malaria will increase towards the end of the 21st century in east Africa, but decrease in west Africa. We combine a novel malaria transmission simulator, HYDREMATS, that has been developed based on comprehensive multi-year field surveys both in East Africa and West Africa, and the most reliable climate projections through regional dynamical downscaling and rigorous selection of GCMs from among CMIP5 models. We define a bell-shaped relation between malaria intensity and temperature, centered around a temperature of 30°C. Future risks of malaria are projected for two highly populated regions in Africa: the highlands in East Africa and the fringes of the desert in West Africa. In the highlands of East Africa, temperature is substantially colder than this optimal temperature; warmer future climate exacerbate malaria conditions. In the Sahel fringes in West Africa, temperature is around this optimal temperature; warming is not likely to exacerbate and might even reduce malaria burden. Unlike the highlands of East Africa, which receive significant amounts of annual rainfall, dry conditions also limit malaria transmission in the Sahel fringes in West Africa. This disproportionate risk of malaria due to climate change should guide strategies for climate adaptation over Africa.

Phylogenetic and morphological investigation of the Mochlus afer-sundevallii species complex (Squamata: Scincidae) across the arid corridor of sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Freitas, Elyse S; Bauer, Aaron M; Siler, Cameron D; Broadley, Donald G; Jackman, Todd R

2018-06-02

The aridification of Africa resulted in the fragmentation of forests and the expansion of an arid corridor stretching from the northeast to southwest portion of sub-Saharan Africa, but the role this corridor has had in species-level diversification of southern African vertebrates is poorly understood. The skink species Mochlus afer and M. sundevallii inhabit wide areas of the arid corridor and are therefore an ideal species pair for studying patterns of genetic and phenotypic diversity associated with this landscape. However, species boundaries between these taxa have been controversial. Using multi-locus molecular and morphological datasets, we investigate diversification patterns of the M. afer-sundevallii Species Complex across the arid corridor. Although analyses of genetic data reveals some genetic structure among geographic populations, results of phylogenetic and morphological analyses provide little support for two distinct evolutionary lineages, suggesting that populations previously referred to as M. afer and M. sundevallii represent a single species, Mochlus sundevallii. Genetic diversity is unequally distributed across the arid corridor, with observed patterns consistent with aridification-facilitated diversification southward across southern Africa. Additional geographic and population-level sampling is necessary before more conclusive inferences can be drawn about the role historical climate transitions have played in skink diversification patterns across southern Africa. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship between household access to food and malnutrition in eastern and southern Africa.

PubMed

Mwadime, R K; Baldwin, S L

1994-09-01

This review paper gives an overview of the relationship between household access to food and malnutrition using national level data in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region. The overall prevalence of malnutrition amongst the under-five population have not changed significantly over the decade and, in some cases, have deteriorated. The situation of household access to food differs between economies and production systems, but most households (average of 80%) in the region do not have access to adequate food. A preliminary analysis of the determinants of malnutrition at country level pointed to the importance of: financial access to food (an indicator of household access to food) and; access to safe water (an indicator of household healthy environment), as the most significant variables predicting rates of malnutrition. Several areas for action by governments in the region and for further study within the subject of household access to food are delineated. These are: more clear determination of the relative contribution of household access to food, to the nutritional status of women and children and, improved analysis of indicators of household access to food.

Cholera outbreaks in Africa.

PubMed

Mengel, Martin A; Delrieu, Isabelle; Heyerdahl, Leonard; Gessner, Bradford D

2014-01-01

During the current seventh cholera pandemic, Africa bore the major brunt of global disease burden. More than 40 years after its resurgence in Africa in 1970, cholera remains a grave public health problem, characterized by large disease burden, frequent outbreaks, persistent endemicity, and high CFRs, particularly in the region of the central African Great Lakes which might act as reservoirs for cholera. There, cases occur year round with a rise in incidence during the rainy season. Elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, cholera occurs mostly in outbreaks of varying size with a constant threat of widespread epidemics. Between 1970 and 2011, African countries reported 3,221,050 suspected cholera cases to the World Health Organization, representing 46 % of all cases reported globally. Excluding the Haitian epidemic, sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 86 % of reported cases and 99 % of deaths worldwide in 2011. The number of cholera cases is possibly much higher than what is reported to the WHO due to the variation in modalities, completeness, and case definition of national cholera data. One source on country specific incidence rates for Africa, adjusting for underreporting, estimates 1,341,080 cases and 160,930 deaths (52.6 % of 2,548,227 estimated cases and 79.6 % of 209,216 estimated deaths worldwide). Another estimates 1,411,453 cases and 53,632 deaths per year, respectively (50 % of 2,836,669 estimated cases and 58.6 % of 91,490 estimated deaths worldwide). Within Africa, half of all cases between 1970 and 2011 were notified from only seven countries: Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia, Tanzania, and South Africa. In contrast to a global trend of decreasing case fatality ratios (CFRs), CFRs have remained stable in Africa at approximately 2 %. Early propagation of cholera outbreaks depends largely on the extent of individual bacterial shedding, host and organism characteristics, the likelihood of people coming into contact with

Emigration dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Adepoju, A

1995-01-01

effects of draught. The interaction of all of these factors has contributed to refugee flows of acute magnitude and complexity. The next major section of the report describes the migration situation in each subregion (Western Africa, Nigeria and Ghana, the Sahel, Mail, Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, and Lesotho). The report concludes that migration in response to socioeconomic conditions will continue until conditions improve in the countries of origin.

African swine fever virus eradication in Africa.

PubMed

Penrith, Mary-Louise; Vosloo, Wilna; Jori, Ferran; Bastos, Armanda D S

2013-04-01

African swine fever was reported in domestic pigs in 26 African countries during the period 2009-2011. The virus exists in an ancient sylvatic cycle between warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus) and argasid ticks of the Ornithodoros moubata complex in many of the countries reporting outbreaks and in two further countries in the region. Eradication of the virus from the countries in eastern and southern Africa where the classic sylvatic cycle occurs is clearly not an option. However, the virus has become endemic in domestic pigs in 20 countries and the great majority of outbreaks in recent decades, even in some countries where the sylvatic cycle occurs, have been associated with movement of infected pigs and pig meat. Pig production and marketing and ASF control in Africa have been examined in order to identify risk factors for the maintenance and spread of ASF. These include large pig populations, traditional free-range husbandry systems, lack of biosecurity in semi-intensive and intensive husbandry systems, lack of organisation in both pig production and pig marketing that results in lack of incentives for investment in pig farming, and ineffective management of ASF. Most of these factors are linked to poverty, yet pigs are recognised as a livestock species that can be used to improve livelihoods and contribute significantly to food security. The changes needed and how they might be implemented in order to reduce the risk of ASF to pig producers in Africa and to the rest of the world are explored. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

From MERIS To OLCI And Sentinel 2: Harmful Algal Bloom Applications & Modelling In South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson Lain, L.; Bernard, S.; Evers-King, H.; Matthews, M. W.; Smith, M.

2013-12-01

The Sentinel 2 and 3 missions offer new capabilities for Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) observations in Southern Africa and further afield on the African continent where there is a great need for improved monitoring of water quality: both in freshwater resources where eutrophication is common, and in vulnerable coastal ecosystems. Two well validated algorithms - Equivalent Algal Populations (EAP) & Maximum Peak Height (MPH) - available for operational use on eutrophic waters are described. Spectral remote sensing reflectances (Rrs) and inherent optical properties (IOPs) are characterised via measurement and modelling of phytoplankton assemblages typical of high biomass algal blooms of the Southern Benguela and inland waters of South Africa. Sensitivity to phytoplankton functional types (PFTs) is investigated, with focus on optically significant biological characteristics e.g. particle size distribution and intracellular structure (including vacuoles).

Social support as a protective factor for children impacted by HIV/AIDS across varying living environments in southern Africa.

PubMed

Barenbaum, Edna; Smith, Tamarah

2016-03-01

The literature on the psychological well-being of children impacted by HIV/AIDS in Africa highlights increased vulnerability due to loss of parents and environmental stressors (e.g., hunger). Research shows that the lack of attachment and social support due to loss limits the grieving process in children. Access to trusting adults and social support through caregivers can be an important protective factor to allow for coping and better emotional adjustment in the future. This study examined social support systems across varying living environments to determine if social support promoted higher levels of well-being in children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. The participants included 100 children from a small targeted population in southern Africa who receive varying levels of support from a private not-for-profit organization. Children's well-being was assessed through the Psycho-Social Adjustment Scale-Adolescents developed specifically for vulnerable child populations in Africa. Children were individually interviewed either on their homestead, school or hostel. Data demonstrated that children who do not share their feelings had significantly lower measures of positive well-being (M = 2.61 (0.87) vs. M = 3.10 (0.57), d = 0.60). Children with trusted adults were significantly more likely to share their feelings and had lower incidence of hunger (49.1% vs. 62.5%), suicide ideation (15.1% vs. 62.5%) and witnessing violence (69.8% vs. 87.5%). Sharing feelings with caregivers was more pronounced among children who had greater access to trusted adults and correlated with stronger attachment scores (r = .30, p < .01). An important component to decrease levels of anxiety and depression in this vulnerable population is providing access to trusted individuals. Social support interventions are discussed.

Africa and the AIDS myth.

PubMed

Versi, A

1990-04-01

The recently released television documentary, "Monkey Business, AIDS: The African Story," has created controversy in Europe with its premise that AIDS did not originate in Africa. Although AIDS 1st appeared in New York in 1981 and was not recorded in Africa until 1983, researchers and the media have promoted the theory that AIDS came from Africa through human contact with the green monkey. Subsequent research forced the original champions of this "green monkey connection" theory to acknowledge that the AIDS virus and the green monkey virus are so dissimilar that they could not be historically linked. Then, the focus turned to the theory that a remote pygmy tribe had been endemically infected with the AIDS virus and carried the disease, by airplane, out of the country. This theory, too, was refuted by the failure to locate any HIV-positive pygmies in the Central African Republic. Still determined to prove that AIDS did not have an American or European origin, researchers reported that blood testing conducted in 1984 revealed 50-90% of Africans to be HIV-infected. Retesting with a more accurate procedure revealed the rate of infectivity to be only 0.02%; yet the media have continued to portray Africa as the source of the AIDS scourge. Moreover, it appears that AIDS cases are actually overreported from Africa--not underreported--due to confusion with conditions such as malnutrition and tropical diseases. To some, this relentless drive to vilify Africa reflects racism. Others believe that it represents an effort to cover up the possibility that the AIDS virus is man-made--a result of an accident in gene technology or microbiology.

H3Africa: current perspectives

PubMed Central

Mulder, Nicola; Abimiku, Alash’le; Adebamowo, Sally N; de Vries, Jantina; Matimba, Alice; Olowoyo, Paul; Ramsay, Michele; Skelton, Michelle; Stein, Dan J

2018-01-01

Precision medicine is being enabled in high-income countries by the growing availability of health data, increasing knowledge of the genetic determinants of disease and variation in response to treatment (pharmacogenomics), and the decreasing costs of data generation, which promote routine application of genomic technologies in the health sector. However, there is uncertainty about the feasibility of applying precision medicine approaches in low- and middle-income countries, due to the lack of population-specific knowledge, skills, and resources. The Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) initiative was established to drive new research into the genetic and environmental basis for human diseases of relevance to Africans as well as to build capacity for genomic research on the continent. Precision medicine requires this capacity, in addition to reference data on local populations, and skills to analyze and interpret genomic data from the bedside. The H3Africa consortium is collectively processing samples and data for over 70,000 participants across the continent, accompanied in most cases by rich clinical information on a variety of non-communicable and infectious diseases. These projects are increasingly providing novel insights into the genetic basis of diseases in indigenous populations, insights that have the potential to drive the development of new diagnostics and treatments. The consortium has also invested significant resources into establishing high-quality biorepositories in Africa, a bioinformatic network, and a strong training program that has developed skills in genomic data analysis and interpretation among bioinformaticians, wet-lab researchers, and health-care professionals. Here, we describe the current perspectives of the H3Africa consortium and how it can contribute to making precision medicine in Africa a reality. PMID:29692621

Human trafficking, labor brokering, and mining in southern Africa: responding to a decentralized and hidden public health disaster.

PubMed

Steele, Sarah

2013-01-01

Many southern African economies are dependent on the extractive industries. These industries rely on low-cost labor, often supplied by migrants, typically acquired through labor brokers. Very little attention has so far been paid to trafficking of men into extractive industries or its connection with trafficked women in the region's mining hubs. Recent reports suggest that labor-brokering practices foster human trafficking, both by exposing migrant men to lack of pay and exploitative conditions and by creating male migratory patterns that generate demand for sex workers and associated trafficking of women and girls. While trafficking in persons violates human rights, and thus remains a priority issue globally, there is little or no evidence of an effective political response to mine-related trafficking in southern Africa. This article concludes with recommendations for legal and policy interventions, as well as an enhanced public health response, which if implemented would help reduce human trafficking toward mining sites.

Towards bridging the gap between climate change projections and maize producers in South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landman, Willem A.; Engelbrecht, Francois; Hewitson, Bruce; Malherbe, Johan; van der Merwe, Jacobus

2018-05-01

Multi-decadal regional projections of future climate change are introduced into a linear statistical model in order to produce an ensemble of austral mid-summer maximum temperature simulations for southern Africa. The statistical model uses atmospheric thickness fields from a high-resolution (0.5° × 0.5°) reanalysis-forced simulation as predictors in order to develop a linear recalibration model which represents the relationship between atmospheric thickness fields and gridded maximum temperatures across the region. The regional climate model, the conformal-cubic atmospheric model (CCAM), projects maximum temperatures increases over southern Africa to be in the order of 4 °C under low mitigation towards the end of the century or even higher. The statistical recalibration model is able to replicate these increasing temperatures, and the atmospheric thickness-maximum temperature relationship is shown to be stable under future climate conditions. Since dry land crop yields are not explicitly simulated by climate models but are sensitive to maximum temperature extremes, the effect of projected maximum temperature change on dry land crops of the Witbank maize production district of South Africa, assuming other factors remain unchanged, is then assessed by employing a statistical approach similar to the one used for maximum temperature projections.

The DACCIWA model evaluation project: representation of the meteorology of southern West Africa in state-of-the-art weather, seasonal and climate prediction models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kniffka, Anke; Benedetti, Angela; Knippertz, Peter; Stanelle, Tanja; Brooks, Malcolm; Deetz, Konrad; Maranan, Marlon; Rosenberg, Philip; Pante, Gregor; Allan, Richard; Hill, Peter; Adler, Bianca; Fink, Andreas; Kalthoff, Norbert; Chiu, Christine; Vogel, Bernhard; Field, Paul; Marsham, John

2017-04-01

DACCIWA (Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in West Africa) is an EU-funded project that aims to determine the influence of anthropogenic and natural emissions on the atmospheric composition, air quality, weather and climate over southern West Africa. DACCIWA organised a major international field campaign in June-July 2016 and involves a wide range of modelling activities. Here we report about the coordinated model evaluation performed in the framework of DACCIWA focusing on meteorological fields. This activity consists of two elements: (a) the quality of numerical weather prediction during the field campaign, (b) the ability of seasonal and climate models to represent the mean state and its variability. For the first element, the extensive observations from the main field campaign in West Africa in June-July 2016 (ground supersites, radiosondes, aircraft measurements) will be combined with conventional data (synoptic stations, satellites data from various sensors) to evaluate models against. The forecasts include operational products from centres such as the ECMWF, UK MetOffice and the German Weather Service and runs specifically conducted for the planning and the post-analysis of the field campaign using higher resolutions (e.g., WRF, COSMO). The forecast and the observations are analysed in a concerted way to assess the ability of the models to represent the southern West African weather systems and secondly to provide a comprehensive synoptic overview of the state of the atmosphere. In a second step the process will be extended to long-term modelling periods. This includes both seasonal and climate models, respectively. In this case, the observational dataset contains long-term satellite observations and station data, some of which were digitised from written records in the framework of DACCIWA. Parameter choice and spatial averaging will build directly on the weather forecasting evaluation to allow an assessment of the impact of short-term errors on

Tele-Education in South Africa

PubMed Central

Mars, Maurice

2014-01-01

Introduction: Telemedicine includes the use of information and communication technology for education in the health sector, tele-education. Sub-Saharan Africa has an extreme shortage of health professionals and as a result, doctors to teach doctors and students. Tele-education has the potential to provide access to education both formal and continuing medical education. While the uptake of telemedicine in Africa is low, there are a number of successful and sustained tele-education programs. The aims of this study were (i) to review the literature on tele-education in South Africa, (ii) describe tele-education activities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZ-N) in South Africa, and (iii) review the development of these programs with respect to current thinking on eHealth project implementation. Method: A literature review of tele-education in South Africa was undertaken. The development of the tele-education services at UKZ-N from 2001 to present is described. The approaches taken are compared with current teaching on eHealth implementation and a retrospective design-reality gap analysis is made. Results: Tele-education has been in use in South Africa since the 1970s. Several forms of tele-education are in place at the medical schools and in some Provincial Departments of Health (DOH). Despite initial attempts by the National DOH, there are no national initiatives in tele-education. At UKZ-N, a tele-education service has been running since 2001 and appears to be sustainable and reaching maturity, with over 1,400 h of videoconferenced education offered per year. The service has expanded to offer videoconferenced education into Africa using different ways of delivering tele-education. Conclusion: Tele-education has been used in different forms for many years in the health sector in South Africa. There is little hard evidence of its educational merit or economic worth. What it apparent is that it improves access to education and training in resource constrained

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Africa.

PubMed

Adnams, Colleen M

2017-03-01

This review aims to summarize data published in the scientific literature and available on official websites on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in Africa. There is a paucity of published literature and evidence-based information on prenatal exposure to alcohol in the African continent and the majority of the continent's literature on FASD emanates from South Africa. A small number of scientific publications document FASD and drinking in pregnancy in other Sub-Saharan African countries and these findings provide evidence that FASD occurs across the continent. Further evidence shows that the world's highest reported rates of FASD occur in South Africa and that this confers a significant public health and neurodevelopmental disability burden on the region. There is an established body of epidemiological, diagnostic, neurobehavioral and neuroscientific knowledge from studies in South Africa. Universal and indicated case method preventions are effective in reducing maternal alcohol consumption in high-risk areas. Throughout Africa, a policy and service implementation gap exists that impedes translation of generated knowledge into effective prevention and intervention strategies. FASD is likely a widely occurring and largely unrecognized neurodevelopmental disability in Africa. A key future direction for global agencies and research partnerships is to collaboratively address evidence gaps and knowledge translation through scalable approaches and strategies that aim to ameliorate the burden of FASD in African and other countries.

Utilization of implantable defibrillators in Africa.

PubMed

Millar, R N Scott; Mayosi, B M

2003-01-01

Sub-Saharan Africa is dominated by diseases of poverty. HIV/AIDS affects 28.5 out of a total of 600 million in the region. South Africa is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa in which implantable cardiovertor defibrillators (ICDs) are implanted (0.8/million in 2001). Only 3 of the 35 new ICDs were implanted in state-funded public hospitals. The pacemaker implantation rate for South Africa was 41/million in 2001. Approximately 20% of the population consume 56% of the health care expenditure, mainly funded by Medical Insurance. A tax-funded state health care system serves the rest of the population, but is concentrated on improving sanitation and primary health care. Diversion of funds from academic tertiary hospitals has reduced specialised services, particularly cardiology and cardiac surgery, and has resulted in an exodus of skilled personnel to the private sector. In the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, tertiary health care is mainly privately funded. Cardiology and cardiac surgery is not widely available. Many countries are crippled by debt and chronic local conflicts. Only one state hospital (Groote Schuur, Cape Town) provides an electrophysiology (EP) service including catheter ablation and ICD implantation, and training in EP, by two electrophysiologists. EP services are available privately in 3 centres. No EP service exists in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa.

Full Genome Sequencing Reveals New Southern African Territories Genotypes Bringing Us Closer to Understanding True Variability of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus in Africa

PubMed Central

Lasecka-Dykes, Lidia; Wright, Caroline F.; Di Nardo, Antonello; Logan, Grace; Mioulet, Valerie; Jackson, Terry; Tuthill, Tobias J.; Knowles, Nick J.; King, Donald P.

2018-01-01

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) causes a highly contagious disease of cloven-hooved animals that poses a constant burden on farmers in endemic regions and threatens the livestock industries in disease-free countries. Despite the increased number of publicly available whole genome sequences, FMDV data are biased by the opportunistic nature of sampling. Since whole genomic sequences of Southern African Territories (SAT) are particularly underrepresented, this study sequenced 34 isolates from eastern and southern Africa. Phylogenetic analyses revealed two novel genotypes (that comprised 8/34 of these SAT isolates) which contained unusual 5′ untranslated and non-structural encoding regions. While recombination has occurred between these sequences, phylogeny violation analyses indicated that the high degree of sequence diversity for the novel SAT genotypes has not solely arisen from recombination events. Based on estimates of the timing of ancestral divergence, these data are interpreted as being representative of un-sampled FMDV isolates that have been subjected to geographical isolation within Africa by the effects of the Great African Rinderpest Pandemic (1887–1897), which caused a mass die-out of FMDV-susceptible hosts. These findings demonstrate that further sequencing of African FMDV isolates is likely to reveal more unusual genotypes and will allow for better understanding of natural variability and evolution of FMDV. PMID:29652800

Quantification of climate and vegetation from Southern African Middle Stone Age sites - an application using Late Pleistocene plant material from Sibudu, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruch, A. A.; Sievers, C.; Wadley, L.

2012-04-01

The isolated geographical situation of South Africa makes the unraveling of various parameters that influence its regional climate in time challenging. If the South African climate does not exhibit a linear correlation with global archives as suggested by some authors then the contribution of independent local data that provides direct information on the environment at a certain place and time is crucial. Fossil plant remains provide valuable information on past environmental conditions. Although few paleobotanical data are available from Southern Africa, some sites reveal rich and diverse fossil floras, most notably, Sibudu Cave, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with its numerous fruits, seeds, pollen and charcoal flora. Such plant remains not only provide information on past vegetation, but also serve as a sound base for paleoclimate quantification with the Coexistence Approach (CA). Sibudu Cave has pulses of Middle Stone Age occupation separated by hiatuses that are as long as 10 ka. Pre-Still Bay, Still Bay, Howiesons Poort, post-Howiesons Poort and late and final Middle Stone Age industries are present. Variations in vegetation and the animals preyed on through time suggest that subtle environmental changes could have occurred during MIS4 and MIS3 in the Sibudu area. Whilst always semi-forested, the region may have comprised a mosaic of uneven and changeable patches of coastal forest and savanna. These in turn might have influenced the numbers of forest versus plains animals in the area. Cultural factors could also have played a part in the faunal variability observed in Sibudu. Preliminary analyses of Sibudu Cave material confirm the potential of the CA for its application on Late Pleistocene African floras. In the future, comparison with other contemporaneous sites will help quantify spatial differences in the climate of the Late Pleistocene in South Africa, and may answer if environmental changes effected the cultural development from Still Bay to late MSA

The distribution and numbers of cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) in southern Africa

PubMed Central

Jacobson, Andrew P.; Schoonover, Rebecca F.; Groom, Rosemary J.; Horgan, Jane; Keeping, Derek; Klein, Rebecca; Marnewick, Kelly; Maude, Glyn; Melzheimer, Jörg; Mills, Gus; van der Merwe, Vincent; van der Meer, Esther; van Vuuren, Rudie J.; Wachter, Bettina

2017-01-01

Assessing the numbers and distribution of threatened species is a central challenge in conservation, often made difficult because the species of concern are rare and elusive. For some predators, this may be compounded by their being sparsely distributed over large areas. Such is the case with the cheetah Acinonyx jubatus. The IUCN Red List process solicits comments, is democratic, transparent, widely-used, and has recently assessed the species. Here, we present additional methods to that process and provide quantitative approaches that may afford greater detail and a benchmark against which to compare future assessments. The cheetah poses challenges, but also affords unique opportunities. It is photogenic, allowing the compilation of thousands of crowd-sourced data. It is also persecuted for killing livestock, enabling estimation of local population densities from the numbers persecuted. Documented instances of persecution in areas with known human and livestock density mean that these data can provide an estimate of where the species may or may not occur in areas without observational data. Compilations of extensive telemetry data coupled with nearly 20,000 additional observations from 39 sources show that free-ranging cheetahs were present across approximately 789,700 km2 of Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe (56%, 22%, 12% and 10% respectively) from 2010 to 2016, with an estimated adult population of 3,577 animals. We identified a further 742,800 km2 of potential cheetah habitat within the study region with low human and livestock densities, where another ∼3,250 cheetahs may occur. Unlike many previous estimates, we make the data available and provide explicit information on exactly where cheetahs occur, or are unlikely to occur. We stress the value of gathering data from public sources though these data were mostly from well-visited protected areas. There is a contiguous, transboundary population of cheetah in southern Africa, known to be the

The distribution and numbers of cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) in southern Africa.

PubMed

Weise, Florian J; Vijay, Varsha; Jacobson, Andrew P; Schoonover, Rebecca F; Groom, Rosemary J; Horgan, Jane; Keeping, Derek; Klein, Rebecca; Marnewick, Kelly; Maude, Glyn; Melzheimer, Jörg; Mills, Gus; van der Merwe, Vincent; van der Meer, Esther; van Vuuren, Rudie J; Wachter, Bettina; Pimm, Stuart L

2017-01-01

Assessing the numbers and distribution of threatened species is a central challenge in conservation, often made difficult because the species of concern are rare and elusive. For some predators, this may be compounded by their being sparsely distributed over large areas. Such is the case with the cheetah Acinonyx jubatus. The IUCN Red List process solicits comments, is democratic, transparent, widely-used, and has recently assessed the species. Here, we present additional methods to that process and provide quantitative approaches that may afford greater detail and a benchmark against which to compare future assessments. The cheetah poses challenges, but also affords unique opportunities. It is photogenic, allowing the compilation of thousands of crowd-sourced data. It is also persecuted for killing livestock, enabling estimation of local population densities from the numbers persecuted. Documented instances of persecution in areas with known human and livestock density mean that these data can provide an estimate of where the species may or may not occur in areas without observational data. Compilations of extensive telemetry data coupled with nearly 20,000 additional observations from 39 sources show that free-ranging cheetahs were present across approximately 789,700 km 2 of Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe (56%, 22%, 12% and 10% respectively) from 2010 to 2016, with an estimated adult population of 3,577 animals. We identified a further 742,800 km 2 of potential cheetah habitat within the study region with low human and livestock densities, where another ∼3,250 cheetahs may occur. Unlike many previous estimates, we make the data available and provide explicit information on exactly where cheetahs occur, or are unlikely to occur. We stress the value of gathering data from public sources though these data were mostly from well-visited protected areas. There is a contiguous, transboundary population of cheetah in southern Africa, known to be the

Maternal education is associated with reduced female disadvantages in under-five mortality in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia.

PubMed

Monden, Christiaan W S; Smits, Jeroen

2013-02-01

The male:female (M:F) mortality ratio for under-five mortality varies considerably across and within societies. Maternal education has been linked to better outcomes for girls, but the evidence is mixed. We examined how the M:F ratio for under-five mortality varies by maternal education in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia. We used recent Demographic and Health Surveys from 31 sub-Saharan African and 4 southern Asian countries. M:F mortality ratios were determined using information on 49 769 deaths among 521 551 children. We estimate M:F ratios for under-five (month 0-59), neonatal (month 0), post-neonatal (month 1-11) and child mortality (month 12-59) by maternal education while controlling for demographic and household characteristics. M:F ratios for under-five mortality and child mortality are compared with more 'gender neutral' thresholds (of 1.25 and 1.17, respectively) estimated on the basis of the Human Mortality Database. In sub-Saharan Africa, the M:F ratio for under-five mortality is 1.09 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.13] among non-educated mothers, 1.14 (95% CI 1.09-1.19) among mothers with some primary education and 1.25 (95% CI 1.16-1.34) among mothers with some secondary or more education. For southern Asia, the ratios are 0.88 (95% CI 0.82-0.95), 1.10 (95% CI 0.97-1.25) and 1.13 (95% CI 1.02-1.26), respectively. The M:F ratio for child mortality also shows an educational gradient in both regions, with the M:F ratio being lower among non-educated mothers. In southern Asia, the M:F ratio for child mortality is particularly low among mothers with no education, M:F ratio = 0.54 (95% CI 0.41-0.72). Among mothers with more education, the difference in the mortality chances of boys and girls more closely resembles a 'gender neutral' situation than among women with no or little education. Girls benefit both in absolute and relative terms from having a more educated mother.

Indicators of Terrorism Vulnerability in Africa

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-26

the terror threat and vulnerabilities across Africa. Key words: Terrorism, Africa, Negative Binomial Regression, Classification Tree iv I would like...31 Metrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Log -likelihood...70 viii Page 5.3 Classification Tree Description

Cascading training the trainers in ophthalmology across Eastern, Central and Southern Africa.

PubMed

Corbett, Melanie C; Mathenge, Wanjiku; Zondervan, Marcia; Astbury, Nick

2017-07-10

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) and the College of Ophthalmology of Eastern Central and Southern Africa (COECSA) are collaborating to cascade a Training the Trainers (TTT) Programme across the COECSA Region. Within the VISION 2020 Links Programme, it aims to develop a skilled motivated workforce who can deliver high quality eye care. It will train a lead, faculty member and facilitator in 8 countries, who can cascade the programme to local trainers. In phase 1 (2013/14) two 3-day courses were run for 16/17 selected delegates, by 3 UK Faculty. In phase 2 (2015/16) 1 UK Faculty Member ran 3 shorter courses, associated with COECSA events (Congress and Examination). A COECSA Lead was appointed after the first course, and selected delegates were promoted as Facilitators then Faculty Members on successive courses. They were given appropriate materials, preparation, training and mentoring. In 4 years the programme has trained 87 delegates, including 1 COECSA Lead, 4 Faculty Members and 7 Facilitators. Delegate feedback on the course was very good and Faculty were impressed with the progress made by delegates. A questionnaire completed by delegates after 6-42 months demonstrated how successfully they were implementing new skills in teaching and supervision. The impact was assessed using the number of eye-care workers that delegates had trained, and the number of patients seen by those workers each year. The figures suggested that approaching 1 million patients per year were treated by eye-care workers who had benefited from training delivered by those who had been on the courses. Development of the Programme in Africa initially followed the UK model, but the need to address more extensive challenges overseas, stimulated new ideas for the UK courses. The Programme has developed a pyramid of trainers capable of cascading knowledge, skills and teaching in training with RCOphth support. The third phase will extend the number of facilitators and faculty

Distinguishing Southern Africa precipitation response by strength of El Niño events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pomposi, C.; Funk, C. C.; Shukla, S.; Magadzire, T.

2017-12-01

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a leading mode of interannual precipitation variability and the main source of skill for seasonal climate predictions. Interannual precipitation variability linked to ENSO can have drastic impacts on agricultural systems and food resources in the semi-arid tropics, highlighting the need for increased information regarding ENSO's links to sub-seasonal to seasonal precipitation variations. The present work describes a case study on recent precipitation variability during warm ENSO events (i.e. El Niño) for the austral summer rainy season (December-February) in Southern Africa. Using a blending of observational and model data, it is found that the probability distribution of precipitation varies according to the strength of El Niño events. Strong El Niño events show a much clearer tendency for drying than moderate or weak events, which have smaller absolute magnitude anomalies and larger spatial heterogeneity in the precipitation response. A dynamical exploration of the various precipitation responses is also completed. The techniques utilized can be easily expanded to study likelihood of drought during El Niño for a variety of other regions and also provides information about El Niño strength and its influence on regional teleconnections. Finally, this presentation will describe the channels by which seasonal forecasting information is disseminated in the region and utilized by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network to help mitigate the impacts of potential food insecurity crises.

When, and how, should we introduce a combination measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine into the national childhood expanded immunization programme in South Africa?

PubMed

Cameron, Neil A

2012-09-07

This article briefly reviews the history and epidemiology of measles, mumps and rubella disease and the case for introducing combination measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine into the national childhood immunization schedule in South Africa. Despite adopting the World Health Organization's Measles Elimination strategy in 1996 and achieving a significant decrease the incidence of measles, added effort is needed in South and southern Africa to reach the goal to eliminate endogenous spread measles. Mumps is still common disease of childhood and while there are few sequelae, even the rare complications are important in large populations. Congenital rubella syndrome is seldom reported, but it is estimated that of the million or so children born every year in South Africa over 600 infants are affected to some degree by rubella infection. The naturally acquired immunity to rubella in women of childbearing age in South Africa has been estimated at over 90%, so that introducing a rubella containing vaccine in childhood may paradoxically increase the proportion of girls reaching puberty still susceptible to rubella. The elimination of endogenous measles and rubella is being achieved in many countries in South America, and despite the recent measles epidemic, must still be seriously considered for South and southern Africa. Current constraints and potential steps needed to reach the goal in South Africa are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology and burden of bipolar disorder in Africa: a systematic review of data from Africa.

PubMed

Esan, Oluyomi; Esan, Arinola

2016-01-01

Bipolar disorder impacts negatively on the patient, the family, as well as the society. It taxes the health care services due to a combination of the illness with associated medical and psychiatric comorbidities. In Africa, unfortunately, knowledge of the epidemiology and burden of bipolar disorder is based mainly on studies from the USA and Europe. In this systematic review of literature from Africa, we highlight the epidemiology and burden of bipolar disorder. A systematic review of publications from Africa relating to the epidemiology and burden of bipolar disorder was conducted. Data from community surveys conducted in Nigeria and Ethiopia indicated a lifetime prevalence estimate of 0.1 % to 1.83 for bipolar disorder. Missed diagnosis rate of bipolar disorder was up to 36.2 %. In one study, 8.1 % of the males and 5.4 % of the females reported a previous suicide attempt. A study showed that up to 60 % of patients with bipolar disorder had at least one comorbidity. There were no reports on all-cause mortality and cost of illness. Bipolar disorder is a major mental health problem in Africa. Scientific findings on bipolar disorder from Africa are consistent with the existing literature from other parts of the world. There still exists a dearth of high quality studies addressing the epidemiological, clinical, social, and economic burden of the disorder.

First Early Hominin from Central Africa (Ishango, Democratic Republic of Congo)

PubMed Central

Crevecoeur, Isabelle; Skinner, Matthew M.; Bailey, Shara E.; Gunz, Philipp; Bortoluzzi, Silvia; Brooks, Alison S.; Burlet, Christian; Cornelissen, Els; De Clerck, Nora; Maureille, Bruno; Semal, Patrick; Vanbrabant, Yves; Wood, Bernard

2014-01-01

Despite uncontested evidence for fossils belonging to the early hominin genus Australopithecus in East Africa from at least 4.2 million years ago (Ma), and from Chad by 3.5 Ma, thus far there has been no convincing evidence of Australopithecus, Paranthropus or early Homo from the western (Albertine) branch of the Rift Valley. Here we report the discovery of an isolated upper molar (#Ish25) from the Western Rift Valley site of Ishango in Central Africa in a derived context, overlying beds dated to between ca. 2.6 to 2.0 Ma. We used µCT imaging to compare its external and internal macro-morphology to upper molars of australopiths, and fossil and recent Homo. We show that the size and shape of the enamel-dentine junction (EDJ) surface discriminate between Plio-Pleistocene and post-Lower Pleistocene hominins, and that the Ishango molar clusters with australopiths and early Homo from East and southern Africa. A reassessment of the archaeological context of the specimen is consistent with the morphological evidence and suggest that early hominins were occupying this region by at least 2 Ma. PMID:24427292

New Archeomagnetic Directional Records From Iron Age Southern Africa (ca. 425-1550 CE) and Implications for the South Atlantic Anomaly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hare, Vincent J.; Tarduno, John A.; Huffman, Thomas; Watkeys, Michael; Thebe, Phenyo C.; Manyanga, Munyaradzi; Bono, Richard K.; Cottrell, Rory D.

2018-02-01

The paucity of Southern Hemisphere archeomagnetic data limits the resolution of paleosecular variation models. At the same time, important changes in the modern and historical field, including the recent dipole decay, appear to originate in this region. Here a new directional record from southern Africa is presented from analysis of Iron Age (ca. 425-1550 CE) archeological materials, which extends the regional secular variation curve back to the first millennium. Previous studies have identified a period of rapid directional change between 1225 and ˜1550 CE. The new data allow us to identify an earlier period of relatively rapid change between the sixth and seventh centuries CE. Implications for models of recurrent flux expulsion at the core-mantle boundary are discussed. In addition, we identify a possible relationship of changes recorded in these African data with archeomagnetic jerks.

Andreas Goes to Africa: A Comparative Historical Study of the Teachers for East Africa Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vavrus, Frances

2018-01-01

This article uses a comparative historical approach to examine the Teachers for East Africa (TEA) and the Teacher Education in East Africa (TEEA) programs, an influential educational development effort that involved U.S. and British college graduates in East African schools and colleges during the decade of 1961-1971. Drawing on postcolonial…

The Wordy Worlds of Popular Music in Eastern and Southern Africa: Possible Implications for Language-in-Education Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makoni, Sinfree; Makoni, Busi; Rosenberg, Aaron

2010-01-01

Language-in-education policy in Africa is replete with debate regarding the use of standard African languages as part of mother-tongue education. An issue inadequately addressed within this debate is the role and function of urban vernaculars which have become "the" mother tongue of the greater part of Africa's population. Using data…

The drought of the 1890s in south-eastern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pribyl, Kathleen; Nash, David; Klein, Jorgen; Endfield, Georgina

2016-04-01

During the second half of the 1890s south-eastern Africa, from modern day Zimbabwe and Botswana down to South Africa, was hit by a drought driven ecological crisis. Using instrumental observations and previously unexploited documentary records in the form of British administrative sources, reports and letters by various Protestant mission societies and newspapers, the extent, duration and severity of the drought are explored. Generally the period was marked by a delayed onset of the rainy season of several months; rainfall totals dropped and perennial rivers such as the Limpopo dried up. The delay of the rainy season negatively impacted the rain-fed agriculture. Recurrent drought conditions during the rainy season frequently withered the young crops. In the interior of southern Africa, on the border of the Kalahari desert, the drought was more severe and continuous than towards the coast of the Indian Ocean. The prolonged dry conditions furthered the outbreak of locust plagues and cattle disease, which in the 1890s took the disastrous form of Rinderpest. A model is established showing how the drought as the original driver of the crisis, triggered a cascade of responses from harvest failure to famine and finally leading to profound socio-economic change.

Sub-Saharan Africa Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-21

south of the Save River, In the .north, the MNR benefited in 1982 from-its absorption >of groups. of Africa Livre fighters operating out of Malawi (AC...Vol 23 Nos 15, 16). One of the Africa Livre leaders was businessman Gimo; ;Phiri, ’who became the MNR’s chief representative in Malawi, operating...Zambezia province for health reasons. The president of the republic has meanwhile appointed (Hermano Gildo Queda Gamito) as BPD chair- man, Antonio

Reconstruction of the Palaeo-environment of the Alluvial Deposits in the Eastern Free State, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, M. Y.

2009-04-01

Small alluvial fan systems have formed off the hillslopes of the remnant Karoo koppies at Heelbo in the Eastern Free State, South Africa. The landform geometry is a result of complex relationships between climate, lithology, structure and vegetation. This research area, which includes a large mammal mass death site, potentially contains a wealth of palaeo-environmental and specifically palaeoclimatic information. Palaeo-environmental information and proxy records on past climates in southern Africa has traditionally been obtained from a variety of techniques including stable isotope analysis of speleothems, pollen , faunal analyses at archeological sites, animal remains and crater-lake sediments (see references below). However, little information exists in the scientific literature on the use of palaeosols for defining the depositional palaeoenvironments in southern Africa. The aim of this research is to attempt to address the lack of palaeo-environmental information by extracting palaeoclimatic information from the sedimentary processes and the palaeosols at the Heelbo farm that have been extensively exposed through gullying. The sedimentary fans in the area have experienced climatically controlled histories of erosion, sedimentation and pedogenesis. Extreme sedimentation is assumed to have occurred during relatively arid climatic intervals, when decreased vegetation cover provided little surface protection. In contrast pedogenesis occurs during humid intervals when vegetation cover is restored, the land stabilizes and the uppermost gravely sands weather to form soils. A combined approach of both radiocarbon- and luminescence -dating may provide a detailed chronology of these successive hillslope events in order to relate hillslope instability to climatic forcing factors. Preliminary results indicate that at least 3 depositional events are recorded within the large mammal mass death site, which have been confirmed by the radiocarbon dates of 3,610 ±110 in the top

Still Bay Point-Production Strategies at Hollow Rock Shelter and Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter and Knowledge-Transfer Systems in Southern Africa at about 80-70 Thousand Years Ago

PubMed Central

Lombard, Marlize

2016-01-01

It has been suggested that technological variations associated with Still Bay assemblages of southern Africa have not been addressed adequately. Here we present a study developed to explore regional and temporal variations in Still Bay point-production strategies. We applied our approach in a regional context to compare the Still Bay point assemblages from Hollow Rock Shelter (Western Cape) and Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter (KwaZulu-Natal). Our interpretation of the point-production strategies implies inter-regional point-production conventions, but also highlights variability and intra-regional knapping strategies used for the production of Still Bay points. These strategies probably reflect flexibility in the organisation of knowledge-transfer systems at work during the later stages of the Middle Stone Age between about 80 ka and 70 ka in South Africa. PMID:27942012

Still Bay Point-Production Strategies at Hollow Rock Shelter and Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter and Knowledge-Transfer Systems in Southern Africa at about 80-70 Thousand Years Ago.

PubMed

Högberg, Anders; Lombard, Marlize

2016-01-01

It has been suggested that technological variations associated with Still Bay assemblages of southern Africa have not been addressed adequately. Here we present a study developed to explore regional and temporal variations in Still Bay point-production strategies. We applied our approach in a regional context to compare the Still Bay point assemblages from Hollow Rock Shelter (Western Cape) and Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter (KwaZulu-Natal). Our interpretation of the point-production strategies implies inter-regional point-production conventions, but also highlights variability and intra-regional knapping strategies used for the production of Still Bay points. These strategies probably reflect flexibility in the organisation of knowledge-transfer systems at work during the later stages of the Middle Stone Age between about 80 ka and 70 ka in South Africa.

Rethinking Learning and Teaching in Africa: Storytelling and Sitting Position as Engagement Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ukwuoma, Uju C.

2016-01-01

This research report uses elements of autoethnography and mixed research to share the efforts of an academic to engage his students during classroom instruction. Participants included 28 science students from a regionally accredited university in Southern Africa, who were taking many sections of a research course. The researcher rearranged…

Geographic and taxonomic distribution of a positive interaction: ant-tended homopterans indirectly benefit figs across southern Africa.

PubMed

Cushman, J Hall; Compton, Stephen G; Zachariades, Costas; Ware, Anthony B; Nefdt, Rory J C; Rashbrook, Vanessa K

1998-09-01

Although species pairs and assemblages often occur across geographic regions, ecologists know very little about the outcome of their interactions on such large spatial scales. Here, we assess the geographic distribution and taxonomic diversity of a positive interaction involving ant-tended homopterans and fig trees in the genus Ficus. Previous experimental studies at a few locations in South Africa indicated that Ficus sur indirectly benefited from the presence of a homopteran (Hilda patruelis) because it attracted ants (primarily Pheidole megacephala) that reduced the effects of both pre-dispersal ovule gallers and parasitoids of pollinating wasps. Based on this work, we evaluated three conditions that must be met in order to support the hypothesis that this indirect interaction involves many fig species and occurs throughout much of southern Africa and Madagascar. Data on 429 trees distributed among five countries indicated that 20 of 38 Ficus species, and 46% of all trees sampled, had ants on their figs. Members of the Sycomorus subgenus were significantly more likely to attract ants than those in the Urostigma subgenus, and ant-colonization levels on these species were significantly greater than for Urostigma species. On average, each ant-occupied F.sur tree had 37% of its fig crop colonized by ants, whereas the value was 24% for other Ficus species. H. patruelis was the most common source for attracting ants, although figs were also attacked by a range of other ant-tended homopterans. P. megacephala was significantly more common on figs than other ant species, being present on 58% of sampled trees. Ant densities commonly exceeded 4.5 per fig, which a field experiment indicated was sufficient to provide protection from ovule gallers and parasitoids of pollinators. Forty-nine percent of all colonized F. sur trees sampled had ant densities equal to or greater than 4.5 per fig, whereas this value was 23% for other Ficus species. We conclude that there is

El Niño, Rainfall, and the Shifting Geography of Cholera in Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, S.; Azman, A. S.; Zaitchik, B. F.; McKay, H.; Lessler, J.

2017-12-01

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and other climate patterns can have profound impacts on the occurrence of infectious diseases. Because of the key role of water supplies in cholera transmission, a relationship between El Niño events and cholera incidence is highly plausible, and previous research has shown a link between El Niño patterns and cholera in Bangladesh. However, there is little systematic evidence for this link in Africa where many cholera cases and deaths are reported. To understand how ENSO affects the geographic distribution of cholera incidence in Africa, we used a hierarchical Bayesian approach to integrate over 17,000 annual observations of cholera incidence from 2000-2014 in over 3,000 unique locations of varying spatial extent, ranging from entire countries to neighborhoods. The resulting maps reflect modeled cholera incidence at a fine spatial resolution using reported counts of cholera cases, key explanatory variables, and a spatially-dependent covariance term. We then examined the potential mechanistic association between ENSO-related changes in cholera incidence and several environmental variables including rainfall. El Niño profoundly changed the annual geographic distribution of cholera in Africa from 2000-2014, shifting the burden to continental East Africa, where almost 50,000 additional cases occur during El Niño years. Cholera incidence during El Niño years was higher in regions of East Africa with increased rainfall, but incidence was also higher in some areas with decreased rainfall suggesting a complex relationship between rainfall and cholera incidence. Here we show clear evidence for a shift in the distribution of cholera incidence throughout Africa in El Niño and non-El Niño years, likely mediated by El Niño's impact on local climatic factors. Knowledge of this relationship between cholera and climate patterns coupled with El Niño forecasting could be used to notify countries in Africa when they are likely to see

AIDS and Africa. Introduction.

PubMed

Kopelman, Loretta M; van Niekerk, Anton A

2002-04-01

Sub-Saharan Africa is the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and in this issue of the Journal, seven authors discuss the moral, social and medical implications of having 70% of those stricken living in this area. Anton A. van Niekerk considers complexities of plague in this region (poverty, denial, poor leadership, illiteracy, women's vulnerability, and disenchantment of intimacy) and the importance of finding responses that empower its people. Solomon Benatar reinforces these issues, but also discusses the role of global politics in sub-Saharan Africa, especially discrimination, imperialism and its exploitation by first world countries. Given the public health crisis, Udo Schüklenk and Richard E. Ashcroft defend compulsory licensing of essential HIV/AIDS medications on consequentialist grounds. Keymanthri Moodley discusses the importance of conducting research and the need to understand a moderate form of communitarianism, also referred to as "ubuntu" or "communalism", to help some Africans understand research as an altruistic endeavour. Godfrey B. Tangwa also defends traditional African values of empathy and ubuntu, discussing how they should be enlisted to fight this pandemic. Loretta M. Kopelman criticizes the tendency among those outside Africa to dismiss the HIV/AIDS pandemic, attributing one source to the ubiquitous and misguided punishment theory of disease. The authors conclude that good solutions must be cooperative ventures among countries within and outside of sub-Saharan Africa with far more support from wealthy countries.

The enigma of yellow fever in East Africa.

PubMed

Ellis, Brett R; Barrett, Alan D T

2008-01-01

Despite a safe and effective vaccine, there are approximately 200,000 cases, including 30,000 deaths, due to yellow fever virus (YFV) each year, of which 90% are in Africa. The natural history of YFV has been well described, especially in West Africa, but in East Africa yellow fever (YF) remains characterised by unpredictable focal periodicity and a precarious potential for large epidemics. Recent outbreaks of YF in Kenya (1992-1993) and Sudan (2003 and 2005) are important because each of these outbreaks have involved the re-emergence of a YFV genotype (East Africa) that remained undetected for nearly 40 years and was previously unconfirmed in a clinically apparent outbreak. In addition, unlike West Africa and South America, YF has yet to emerge in urban areas of East Africa and be vectored by Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti. This is a significant public health concern in a region where the majority of the population remains unvaccinated. This review describes historical findings, highlights a number of disease indicators, and provides clarification regarding the natural history, recent emergence and future risk of YF in East Africa. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Strategic investments in non-communicable diseases (NCD) research in Africa: the GSK Africa NCD Open Lab.

PubMed

Hall, Matthew D; Dufton, Ann M; Katso, Roy M; Gatsi, Sally A; Williams, Pauline M; Strange, Michael E

2015-01-01

In March 2014, GSK announced a number of new strategic investments in Africa. One of these included investment of up to 25 million Pounds Sterling (£25 million) to create the world's first R&D Open Lab to increase understanding of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa. The vision is to create a new global R&D effort with GSK working in partnership with major funders, academic centres and governments to share expertise and resources to conduct high-quality research. The Africa NCD Open Lab will see GSK scientists collaborate with scientific research centres across Africa. An independent advisory board of leading scientists and clinicians will provide input to develop the strategy and selection of NCD research projects within a dynamic and networked open-innovation environment. It is hoped that these research projects will inform prevention and treatment strategies in the future and will enable researchers across academia and industry to discover and develop new medicines to address the specific needs of African patients.

Children in Africa: Key Statistics on Child Survival, Protection and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

UNICEF, 2014

2014-01-01

This report presents key statistics relating to: (1) child malnutrition in Africa; (2) HIV/AIDS and Malaria in Africa; (3) child marriage, birth registration and Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C); (4) education in Africa; (5) child mortality in Africa; (6) Drinking water and sanitation in Africa; and (7) maternal health in Africa.…

Genetic Origins of Lactase Persistence and the Spread of Pastoralism in Africa

PubMed Central

Ranciaro, Alessia; Campbell, Michael C.; Hirbo, Jibril B.; Ko, Wen-Ya; Froment, Alain; Anagnostou, Paolo; Kotze, Maritha J.; Ibrahim, Muntaser; Nyambo, Thomas; Omar, Sabah A.; Tishkoff, Sarah A.

2014-01-01

In humans, the ability to digest lactose, the sugar in milk, declines after weaning because of decreasing levels of the enzyme lactase-phlorizin hydrolase, encoded by LCT. However, some individuals maintain high enzyme amounts and are able to digest lactose into adulthood (i.e., they have the lactase-persistence [LP] trait). It is thought that selection has played a major role in maintaining this genetically determined phenotypic trait in different human populations that practice pastoralism. To identify variants associated with the LP trait and to study its evolutionary history in Africa, we sequenced MCM6 introns 9 and 13 and ∼2 kb of the LCT promoter region in 819 individuals from 63 African populations and in 154 non-Africans from nine populations. We also genotyped four microsatellites in an ∼198 kb region in a subset of 252 individuals to reconstruct the origin and spread of LP-associated variants in Africa. Additionally, we examined the association between LP and genetic variability at candidate regulatory regions in 513 individuals from eastern Africa. Our analyses confirmed the association between the LP trait and three common variants in intron 13 (C-14010, G-13907, and G-13915). Furthermore, we identified two additional LP-associated SNPs in intron 13 and the promoter region (G-12962 and T-956, respectively). Using neutrality tests based on the allele frequency spectrum and long-range linkage disequilibrium, we detected strong signatures of recent positive selection in eastern African populations and the Fulani from central Africa. In addition, haplotype analysis supported an eastern African origin of the C-14010 LP-associated mutation in southern Africa. PMID:24630847

Biogeography and climatic change as a context to human dispersal out of Africa and within Eurasia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Made, Jan

2011-06-01

The dispersal of the genus Homo occurred against a background of continuous environmental change. Here, dispersals of large mammals through the Levantine Corridor and into Western Europe and Java are studied and compared to existing records of climatic change and dispersals of early humans and lithic industry. The first human dispersal (with Oldowan lithic industry) out of Africa, around or shortly before 1.8 Ma may have been triggered by biological evolution and increased social organisation, rather than environmental change. After that event, increasing aridity led to decreased faunal exchange between Africa and Eurasia and may have isolated the human populations of Africa and Africa. Southern (Java) and Eastern Asia (China) also seem to have been isolated. Human dispersal into Western Europe may have been limited by closed environments in Central Europe until about 1.2 Ma ago, when faunal dispersal into Europe suggests the cyclic spread of open environments to the west. Acheulean technology originated in Africa, some 1.6-1.5 Ma ago, but its dispersal into Eurasia may have been obstructed by an arid Southwest Asia, until broadly about 0.9 Ma ago, when faunal exchange suggests that the area became temporarily less dry. By 0.6-0.5 Ma ago it reached Europe.

A 19th century climate chronology for the Kalahari region of central southern Africa derived from missionary correspondence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nash, David J.; Endfield, Georgina H.

2002-06-01

Unpublished materials written by missionaries based at London Missionary Society and Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society mission stations across the Kalahari region have been used as the primary source for the construction of a historical climatic chronology for central southern Africa for the period 1815-1900. Data from these unpublished documents were supplemented by analyses of published material written by various hunters and explorers (as well as missionaries) who travelled beyond the immediate areas of missionary activity. Key features of the climate chronology are the identification of six drought episodes and seven periods of above-average rainfall which affected various parts of the region. Major dry periods occurred in 1820-27, 1831-35, 1844-51, 1857-65, 1877-86 and 1894-99, of which the droughts in 1844-51, 1857-65, 1884-86 and 1894-99 were the most widespread. Wetter periods are identified in 1816-17, 1829-30, 1851-52, 1863-64, 1874-75, 1889-91 and 1899-1900, with the most widely distributed wet conditions occurring in 1889-91. In order to ascertain the reliability of the chronology, the document-derived climate sequence has been compared with available meteorological data for the study area (from Barkly West for the period 1883-1900) and shows good general agreement.The results of this study have been compared with historical climate chronologies for the former Cape Province of South Africa. This comparison reveals that large areas of the southern African subcontinent experienced dry conditions in 1826-27, 1832-35, 1848-1851, 1858-60, 1861-63, 1877-81, 1884-86 and 1894-99, with the dry phases of the early 1850s, 1858-60, 1861-63 and 1894-99 possibly extending beyond the northern border of present-day Botswana. Wetter phases affected much of the subcontinent in 1829-30, 1851-52, 1863-64, 1874-75, 1889-91 and 1899-1900, with 1874-75 and 1889-91 associated with reports of flooding from central Botswana to the eastern Cape. The causal mechanisms of

Numerical simulation of surface solar radiation over Southern Africa. Part 1: Evaluation of regional and global climate models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Chao; Morel, Béatrice; Wild, Martin; Pohl, Benjamin; Abiodun, Babatunde; Bessafi, Miloud

2018-02-01

This study evaluates the performance of climate models in reproducing surface solar radiation (SSR) over Southern Africa (SA) by validating five Regional Climate Models (RCM, including CCLM4, HIRHAM5, RACMO22T, RCA4 and REMO2009) that participated in the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment program over Africa (CORDEX-Africa) along with their ten driving General Circulation Models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 over SA. The model simulated SSR was thereby compared to reference data from ground-based measurements, satellite-derived products and reanalyses over the period 1990-2005. Results show that (1) the references obtained from satellite retrievals and reanalyses overall overestimate SSR by up to 10 W/m2 on average when compared to ground-based measurements from the Global Energy Balance Archive, which are located mainly over the eastern part of the southern African continent. (2) Compared to one of the satellite products (Surface Solar Radiation Data Set—Heliosat Edition 2; SARAH-2): GCMs overestimate SSR over SA in terms of their multi-model mean by about 1 W/m2 (compensation of opposite biases over sub-regions) and 7.5 W/m2 in austral summer and winter respectively; RCMs driven by GCMs show in their multimodel mean underestimations of SSR in both seasons with Mean Bias Errors (MBEs) of about - 30 W/m2 in austral summer and about - 14 W/m2 in winter compared to SARAH-2. This multi-model mean low bias is dominated by the simulations of the CCLM4, with negative biases up to - 76 W/m2 in summer and - 32 W/m2 in winter. (3) The discrepancies in the simulated SSR over SA are larger in the RCMs than in the GCMs. (4) In terms of trend during the "brightening" period 1990-2005, both GCMs and RCMs (driven by European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis ERA-Interim, short as ERAINT and GCMs) simulate an SSR trend of less than 1 W/m2 per decade. However, variations of SSR trend exist among different references data

Sub-Saharan Africa Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-01-16

Botha (DIE AFRIKANER, 8 Oct 86) 55 s 57 (DIE AFRIKANER, 15 Oct 86) 59 BP Oil Company Integration Plans Viewed (DIE BURGER, 17 Nov 86...among things, ban the transporta- tion of crude oil to South Africa and Namibia on Norwegian ships, ban any form of investment and trans- fer of...on November 10 on an em- bargo against the sale and transport of oil to South Africa, and calls for the setting up of a United Nations "mechanism

Demotivating infant feeding counselling encounters in southern Africa: do counsellors need more or different training?

PubMed

Buskens, I; Jaffe, A

2008-03-01

Ethnographic research was conducted in eleven low-resource settings across Swaziland, Namibia and South Africa to explore how the perceptions and experiences of counselling health workers, pregnant women and recent mothers could be used to improve infant feeding counselling in the context of mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. We found many counselling encounters to be demotivating. Mothers often reported feeling judged, stigmatised and shamed. Counsellors complained of mothers' poor compliance and passive resistance and reported suffering from stress, depression and burnout. We observed a rift between the mothers and counselling nurses, with both parties holding opposing agendas grounded in conflicting realities, expectations, experiences and needs. While the clients framed the visit as a consultation, counsellors framed it as health education, towards one exclusive purpose; to save the baby. Two communication modes prevailed in the counselling encounter: in theory, the counselling format was non-directive and client-centred but, in practice, most encounters reverted to information-based health education. Neither counselling format enabled the counsellors to acknowledge the reality of the two opposing agendas in the conversation and manage its dynamics. In order to achieve success - which, for the health service, is framed as persuading mothers to test for HIV and disclose the result - counsellors often felt compelled to be prescriptive and authoritative and reverted at times to confronting, judging and shaming mothers. Yet to adhere to their feeding choice consistently, mothers need to be motivated towards the significant behaviour change that this implies: to change their traditional roles and identities as women. For infant feeding counselling in the context of HIV/AIDS to become effective in southern Africa, a different format is therefore required; one that can acknowledge and manage these opposing agendas and conflicting realities and also enable

Tropospheric Carbon Monoxide Measurements from the Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder on 7 September 2000 in Southern Africa during SAFARI 2000

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McMillan, W. W.; McCourt, M. L.; Revercomb, H. E.; Knuteson, R. O.; Christian, T. J.; Doddridge, B. G.; Hobbs, P. V.; Lukovich, P. C.; Novelli, P. C.; Piketh, S. J.

2003-01-01

Retrieved tropospheric carbon monoxide (CO) column densities are presented for more than 9000 spectra obtained by the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UWis) Scanning High-Resolution Interferometer Sounder (SHIS) during a flight on the NASA ER-2 on 7 September 2000 as part of the Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000) dry season field campaign. Enhancements in tropospheric column CO were detected in the vicinity of a controlled biomass burn in the Timbavati Game Reserve in northeastern South Africa and over the edge of the river of smoke in south central Mozambique. Relatively clean air was observed over the far southern coast of Mozambique. Quantitative comparisons are presented with in situ measurements from five different instruments flying on two other aircraft: the University of Washington Convair-580 (CV) and the South African Aerocommander JRB in the vicinity of the Timbavati fire. Measured tropospheric CO columns (extrapolated from 337 to 100 mb) of 2.1 x 10(exp 18) per square centimeter in background air and up to 1.5 x 10(exp 19) per square centimeter in the smoke plume agree well with SHIS retrieved tropospheric CO columns of (2.3 plus or minus 0.25) x 10(exp 18) per square centimeter over background air near the fire and (1.5 plus or minus 0.35) x 10(exp 19) per square centimeter over the smoke plume. Qualitative comparisons are presented with three other in situ CO profiles obtained by the South African JRA aircraft over Mozambique and northern South Africa showing the influence of the river of smoke.

eGY-Africa: Addressing the Digital Divide for Science in Africa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barton, C.E.; /Australian Natl. U., Canberra; Amory-Mazaudier, C.

Adoption of information and communication technologies and access to the Internet is expanding in Africa, but because of the rapid growth elsewhere, a Digital Divide between Africa and the rest of the world exists, and the gap is growing. In many sub-Saharan African countries, education and research sector suffers some of the worst deficiencies in access to the Internet, despite progress in development of NRENs - National Research and Education (cyber) Networks. By contrast, it is widely acknowledged in policy statements from the African Union, the UN, and others that strength in this very sector provides the key to meetingmore » and sustaining Millennium Development Goals. Developed countries with effective cyber-capabilities proclaim the benefits to rich and poor alike arising from the Information Revolution. This is but a dream for many scientists in African institutions. As the world of science becomes increasingly Internet-dependent, so they become increasingly isolated. eGY-Africa is a bottom-up initiative by African scientists and their collaborators to try to reduce this Digital Divide by a campaign of advocacy for better institutional facilities. Four approaches are being taken. The present status of Internet services, problems, and plans are being mapped via a combination of direct measurement of Internet performance (the PingER Project) and a questionnaire-based survey. Information is being gathered on policy statements and initiatives aimed at reducing the Digital Divide, which can be used for arguing the case for better Internet facilities. Groups of concerned scientists are being formed at the national, regional levels in Africa, building on existing networks as much as possible. Opinion in the international science community is being mobilized. Finally, and perhaps most important of all, eGY-Africa is seeking to engage with the many other programs, initiatives, and bodies that share the goal of reducing the Digital Divide - either as a direct

eGY-Africa: Addressing the Digital Divide for Science in Africa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barton, C. E.

Adoption of information and communication technologies and access to the Internet is expanding in Africa, but because of the rapid growth elsewhere, a Digital Divide between Africa and the rest of the world exists, and the gap is growing. In many sub-Saharan African countries, education and research sector suffer some of the worst deficiencies in access to the Internet, despite progress in development of NRENs National Research and Education (cyber) Networks. By contrast, it is widely acknowledged in policy statements from the African Union, the UN, and others that strength in this very sector provides the key to meeting andmore » sustaining Millennium Development Goals. Developed countries with effective cyber-capabilities proclaim the benefits to rich and poor alike arising from the Information Revolution. This is but a dream for many scientists in African institutions. As the world of science becomes increasingly Internet-dependent, so they become increasingly isolated. eGY-Africa is a bottom-up initiative by African scientists and their collaborators to try to reduce this Digital Divide by a campaign of advocacy for better institutional facilities. Four approaches are being taken. The present status of Internet services, problems, and plans are being mapped via a combination of direct measurement of Internet performance (the PingER Project) and a questionnaire-based survey. Information is being gathered on policy statements and initiatives aimed at reducing the Digital Divide, which can be used for arguing the case for better Internet facilities. Groups of concerned scientists are being formed at the national, regional levels in Africa, building on existing networks as much as possible. Opinion in the international science community is being mobilized. Finally, and perhaps most important of all, eGY-Africa is seeking to engage with the many other programs, initiatives, and bodies that share the goal of reducing the Digital Divide either as a direct policy

Voluntary medical male circumcision: a qualitative study exploring the challenges of costing demand creation in eastern and southern Africa.

PubMed

Bertrand, Jane T; Njeuhmeli, Emmanuel; Forsythe, Steven; Mattison, Sarah K; Mahler, Hally; Hankins, Catherine A

2011-01-01

This paper proposes an approach to estimating the costs of demand creation for voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) scale-up in 13 countries of eastern and southern Africa. It addresses two key questions: (1) what are the elements of a standardized package for demand creation? And (2) what challenges exist and must be taken into account in estimating the costs of demand creation? We conducted a key informant study on VMMC demand creation using purposive sampling to recruit seven people who provide technical assistance to government programs and manage budgets for VMMC demand creation. Key informants provided their views on the important elements of VMMC demand creation and the most effective funding allocations across different types of communication approaches (e.g., mass media, small media, outreach/mobilization). The key finding was the wide range of views, suggesting that a standard package of core demand creation elements would not be universally applicable. This underscored the importance of tailoring demand creation strategies and estimates to specific country contexts before estimating costs. The key informant interviews, supplemented by the researchers' field experience, identified these issues to be addressed in future costing exercises: variations in the cost of VMMC demand creation activities by country and program, decisions about the quality and comprehensiveness of programming, and lack of data on critical elements needed to "trigger the decision" among eligible men. Based on this study's findings, we propose a seven-step methodological approach to estimate the cost of VMMC scale-up in a priority country, based on our key assumptions. However, further work is needed to better understand core components of a demand creation package and how to cost them. Notwithstanding the methodological challenges, estimating the cost of demand creation remains an essential element in deriving estimates of the total costs for VMMC scale-up in eastern and

Gaucher's disease in a black child in South Africa. A case report.

PubMed

Patel, R; MacDougall, L G

1984-09-01

A 7-year-old Black boy presented with massive splenomegaly and a tendency to haemorrhage due to type 1 Gaucher's disease. After splenectomy he became asymptomatic and the haematological parameters returned to normal. Although type 1 Gaucher's disease has been described in adult Blacks, it has not been reported previously in a Black child in southern Africa.

Parents as partners in adolescent HIV prevention in Eastern and Southern Africa: an evaluation of the current United Nations' approach.

PubMed

Wathuta, Jane

2016-11-10

The United Nations's (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) include the target (3.3) of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030. A major challenge in this regard is to curb the incidence of HIV among adolescents, the number two cause of their death in Africa. In Eastern and Southern Africa, they are mainly infected through heterosexual transmission. Research findings about parental influence on the sexual behavior of their adolescent children are reviewed and findings indicate that parental communication, monitoring and connectedness contribute to the avoidance of risky sexual behavior in adolescents. This article evaluates the extent to which these three dimensions of parenting have been factored in to current HIV prevention recommendations relating to adolescent boys and girls. Four pertinent UN reports are analyzed and the results used to demonstrate that the positive role of parents or primary caregivers vis-à-vis risky sexual behavior has tendentially been back-grounded or even potentially undermined. A more explicit inclusion of parents in adolescent HIV prevention policy and practice is essential - obstacles notwithstanding - enabling their indispensable partnership towards ending an epidemic mostly driven by sexual risk behavior. Evidence from successful or promising projects is included to illustrate the practical feasibility and fruitfulness of this approach.

Structural barriers to ART adherence in Southern Africa: challenges and potential ways forward

PubMed Central

KAGEE, A.; REMIEN, R.H.; BERKMAN, A.; HOFFMAN, S.; CAMPOS, L.; SWARTZ, L.

2010-01-01

Structural barriers to antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence are economic, institutional, political and cultural factors, that collectively influence the extent to which persons living with HIV follow their medication regimens. We identify three sets of structural barriers to ART adherence that are salient in Southern Africa: poverty-related, institutional, and political and cultural. Examples of poverty-related barriers are competing demands in the context of resource-constrained settings, the lack of transport infrastructure, food insecurity, the role of disability grants and poor social support. Examples of institutional factors are logistical barriers, overburdened health care facilities, limited access to mental health services and difficulties in ensuring adequate counseling. Examples of political and cultural barriers are controversies in the provision of treatment for AIDS, migration, traditional beliefs about HIV and AIDS, poor health literacy and gender inequalities. In forging a way forward, we identify ways in which individuals, communities and health care systems may overcome some of these structural barriers. Finally, we make recommendations for further research on structural barriers to ART adherence. In all likelihood, enhancing adherence to ART requires the efforts of a variety of disciplines, including public health, psychology, anthropology, sociology and medicine. PMID:20509066

Air-sea interaction at the subtropical convergence south of Africa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rouault, M.; Lutjeharms, J.R.E.; Ballegooyen, R.C. van

1994-12-31

The oceanic region south of Africa plays a key role in the control of Southern Africa weather and climate. This is particularly the case for the Subtropical Convergence region, the northern border of the Southern Ocean. An extensive research cruise to investigate this specific front was carried out during June and July 1993. A strong front, the Subtropical Convergence was identified, however its geographic disposition was complicated by the presence of an intense warm eddy detached from the Agulhas current. The warm surface water in the eddy created a strong contrast between it and the overlying atmosphere. Oceanographic measurements (XBTmore » and CTD) were jointly made with radiosonde observations and air-sea interaction measurements. The air-sea interaction measurement system included a Gill sonic anemometer, an Ophir infrared hygrometer, an Eppley pyranometer, an Eppley pyrgeometer and a Vaissala temperature and relative humidity probe. Turbulent fluxes of momentum, sensible heat and latent heat were calculated in real time using the inertial dissipation method and the bulk method. All these measurements allowed a thorough investigation of the net heat loss of the ocean, the deepening of the mixed layer during a severe storm as well as the structure of the atmospheric boundary layer and ocean-atmosphere exchanges.« less

Compositions of Three Lunar Meteorites: Meteorite Hills 01210, Northeast Africa 001, and Northwest Africa 3136

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korotev, R. L.; Irving, A. J.

2005-01-01

We report on compositions obtained by instrumental neutron activation analysis on three new lunar meteorites, MET 01210 (Meteorite Hills, Antarctica; 23 g), NEA 001 (Northeast Africa, Sudan; 262 g), and NWA 3136 (Northwest Africa, Algeria or Morocco; 95 g). As in previous similar studies, we divided our samples into many (8-9) small (approximately 30 mg) subsamples prior to analysis.

Echinococcus felidis in hippopotamus, South Africa.

PubMed

Halajian, Ali; Luus-Powell, Wilmien J; Roux, Francois; Nakao, Minoru; Sasaki, Mizuki; Lavikainen, Antti

2017-08-30

Hydatid cysts of Echinococcus felidis are described from the hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) from Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Among six hippopotami investigated, hepatic hydatids were found in three. The identification was based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. In addition, the rostellar hook morphology was analysed. This is the first morphological description of the metacestode of E. felidis, and the first molecularly confirmed report of the intermediate host of E. felidis in South Africa. The definitive host of E. felidis in South Africa is the lion (Panthera leo). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.