Levels, trends and reasons for unmet need for family planning among married women in Botswana: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Letamo, Gobopamang; Navaneetham, Kannan

2015-03-31

The objectives of this study are: (1) to estimate the prevalence of unmet need for family planning among married women using Botswana Family Health Survey 2007 data and (2) to identify risk factors for unmet need for family planning among married women. This study used secondary data from a cross-sectional survey that was conducted to provide a snapshot of health issues in Botswana. Nationally representative population survey data. 2601 married or in union women aged 15-49 years who participated in the 2007 Botswana Family Health Survey were included in the analysis. Unmet need for family planning, which was defined as the percentage of all fecund married women who are not using a method of contraception even though they do not want to get pregnant. Married women who had unmet need for family planning were 9.6% in 2007. Most of the unmet need was for limiting (6.7%) compared to spacing (2.9%). Unmet need for family planning was more likely to be among women whose partners disapproved of family planning, non-Christians, had one partner and had never discussed family planning with their partner. Women of low parity, aged 25-34 years, and greater exposure to mass media, were less likely to have experienced unmet need. The patterns and magnitude of covariates differed between unmet need for limiting and for spacing. The prevalence of unmet need for family planning was low in Botswana compared to other sub-Saharan African countries. The findings from this study reemphasise the importance of women's empowerment and men's involvement in women's sexual and reproductive healthcare needs and services. Different approaches are needed to satisfy the demand for family planning for spacing and limiting. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Climate change is likely to worsen the public health threat of diarrheal disease in Botswana.

PubMed

Alexander, Kathleen A; Carzolio, Marcos; Goodin, Douglas; Vance, Eric

2013-03-26

Diarrheal disease is an important health challenge, accounting for the majority of childhood deaths globally. Climate change is expected to increase the global burden of diarrheal disease but little is known regarding climate drivers, particularly in Africa. Using health data from Botswana spanning a 30-year period (1974-2003), we evaluated monthly reports of diarrheal disease among patients presenting to Botswana health facilities and compared this to climatic variables. Diarrheal case incidence presents with a bimodal cyclical pattern with peaks in March (ANOVA p < 0.001) and October (ANOVA p < 0.001) in the wet and dry season, respectively. There is a strong positive autocorrelation (p < 0.001) in the number of reported diarrhea cases at the one-month lag level. Climatic variables (rainfall, minimum temperature, and vapor pressure) predicted seasonal diarrheal with a one-month lag in variables (p < 0.001). Diarrheal case incidence was highest in the dry season after accounting for other variables, exhibiting on average a 20% increase over the yearly mean (p < 0.001). Our analysis suggests that forecasted climate change increases in temperature and decreases in precipitation may increase dry season diarrheal disease incidence with hot, dry conditions starting earlier and lasting longer. Diarrheal disease incidence in the wet season is likely to decline. Our results identify significant health-climate interactions, highlighting the need for an escalated public health focus on controlling diarrheal disease in Botswana. Study findings have application to other arid countries in Africa where diarrheal disease is a persistent public health problem.

Climate Change is Likely to Worsen the Public Health Threat of Diarrheal Disease in Botswana

PubMed Central

Alexander, Kathleen A.; Carzolio, Marcos; Goodin, Douglas; Vance, Eric

2013-01-01

Diarrheal disease is an important health challenge, accounting for the majority of childhood deaths globally. Climate change is expected to increase the global burden of diarrheal disease but little is known regarding climate drivers, particularly in Africa. Using health data from Botswana spanning a 30-year period (1974–2003), we evaluated monthly reports of diarrheal disease among patients presenting to Botswana health facilities and compared this to climatic variables. Diarrheal case incidence presents with a bimodal cyclical pattern with peaks in March (ANOVA p < 0.001) and October (ANOVA p < 0.001) in the wet and dry season, respectively. There is a strong positive autocorrelation (p < 0.001) in the number of reported diarrhea cases at the one-month lag level. Climatic variables (rainfall, minimum temperature, and vapor pressure) predicted seasonal diarrheal with a one-month lag in variables (p < 0.001). Diarrheal case incidence was highest in the dry season after accounting for other variables, exhibiting on average a 20% increase over the yearly mean (p < 0.001). Our analysis suggests that forecasted climate change increases in temperature and decreases in precipitation may increase dry season diarrheal disease incidence with hot, dry conditions starting earlier and lasting longer. Diarrheal disease incidence in the wet season is likely to decline. Our results identify significant health-climate interactions, highlighting the need for an escalated public health focus on controlling diarrheal disease in Botswana. Study findings have application to other arid countries in Africa where diarrheal disease is a persistent public health problem. PMID:23531489

Stratigraphy and sediment provenance of the Karoo Supergroup in Southern Botswana using geochemical indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diskin, Sorcha; Wendorff, Marek; Lasarwe, Reneilwe

2010-05-01

The Karoo Supergroup of Botswana unconformably overlies Archaean and Proterozoic rocks. They are however, poorly exposed being in turn overlain by up to 200m of Kalahari Beds. This Carboniferous - Jurassic succession comprises sequences of sedimentary and volcanic rocks which are spread across southern Africa. In Botswana, rock complexes have been correlated between widely spaced boreholes based on macroscopically similar appearance and similar position in the succession. In neighbouring South Africa and Namibia these rocks are well exposed and the lithostratigraphy is well constrained by the fossil record. The Karoo units of Botswana have been correlated with these more precisely defined successions on the basis of lithostratigraphy only and are unsupported by other criteria and as such are limited; especially considering the different depositional settings between Botswana and South Africa. Here we present the results of a study of the heavy whole rock geochemistry in an attempt to provide additional, chemostratigraphic criteria for the lower and middle part of the Karoo suite, the Dwyka and Ecca Groups. Analysis of 60 samples for major and trace (including REE) element composition shows a close relation between the geochemical characteristics and stratigraphy. Major elements show that the deltaic material of the Kweneng Formation and Boritse Formation was sourced from recycled continental crust. The basinal mudstone and siltstone below and above fall into an intermediate-mafic igneous field. Most samples have distinct negative europium anomalies (Eu/Eu*=0.49-1.27; av. = 0. 75) and most values are characteristic of sediments of cratonic derivation. A clear shift in (Gd/Yb)N in the basinal pro-delta shales (the Bori Formation) is generally 2.0 or greater, which is typical of an Archean signature, whereas post-Archean rocks usually have (Gd/Yb)N 1.0 - 2.0 as seen for the strata above the delta mouth bars and channels (average 1.6). In a diagram in which (La/Yb)N plotted against CeN shows a relationship between REE fractionation and provenance, the samples from the Ecca's lacustrine Kwetla Formation and Bori Formation fall into the Intermediate Igneous Provenance Field along with data from the Dwyka, whereas the deltaic Kweneng and Boritse Formation belong to the quartzose provenance field. This agrees with indicators from the major element discriminators.

Human resources for health in Botswana: the results of in-country database and reports analysis.

PubMed

Nkomazana, Oathokwa; Peersman, Wim; Willcox, Merlin; Mash, Robert; Phaladze, Nthabiseng

2014-11-21

Botswana is a large middle-income country in Southern Africa with a population of just over two million. Shortage of human resources for health is blamed for the inability to provide high quality accessible health services. There is however a lack of integrated, comprehensive and readily-accessible data on the health workforce. The aim of this study was to analyse the existing databases on health workforce in Botswana in order to quantify the human resources for health. The Department of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Skills Development, the Botswana Health Professions Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Botswana and the in-country World Health Organization office provided raw data on human resources for health in Botswana. The densities of doctors and nurses per 10 000 population were four and 42,respectively; three and 26 for rural districts; and nine and 77 for urban districts. The average vacancy rate in 2007 and 2008 was 5% and 13% in primary and hospital care, respectively, but this is projected to increase to 53% and 43%, respectively, in 2016. Only 21% of the doctors registered with the Botswana Health Professions Council were from Botswana, the rest being mainly from other African countries. Botswana trained 77% of its health workforce locally. Although the density of health workers is relatively high compared to the region, they are concentrated in urban areas, insufficient to meet the projected requirements and reliant on migrant professionals.

The promotion of mental health through cultural values, institutions, and practices: a reflection on some aspects of botswana culture.

PubMed

Sabone, Motshedisi B

2009-12-01

Botswana has seen rapid socioeconomic development since the 1970s that has contributed to the erosion of the values, institutions, and practices that are believed to be supportive of mental health. In this paper, the author argues that the aspects of culture that are supportive of mental health have been diluted by the process of urbanization and the interactions of Batswana (the indigenous people of Botswana) with other cultural groups, particularly those from the western hemisphere. The paper further highlights some of the values, institutions, and practices native to Botswana and describes how they promote mental health. Lastly, recommendations for reviving the cultural values, institutions, and practices of Botswana are discussed.

Financing Tertiary Education under Fiscal Stress in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Botlhale, Emmanuel

2015-01-01

Developing countries place a high premium on education because it is believed to correlate with economic development. Similarly, Botswana adopted an education-for-development policy when it became independent in 1966. Providentially, it discovered and mined minerals, particularly diamonds, and funded education. Unfortunately, Botswana is a…

Qualifications Frameworks: Implementation and Impact in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tau, Daniel; Modesto, Stanslaus T.

2011-01-01

A growing number of countries are introducing qualification frameworks (QFs) following a common definition of outcomes, level descriptors, and a set of occupational or knowledge fields. Botswana has been no exception to this trend. The passing of the Vocational Training Act (1998) led to the creation of the Botswana National Vocational…

The Development of Distance Education in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nage-Sibande, Bogadi

2005-01-01

Botswana is a landlocked semi-arid country sharing boundaries with Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Setswana and English are the official languages, with English being the most used as the language of government and business transactions. In comparison to most African countries, Botswana is culturally homogenous, and nearly 80% of the…

Women's Access to Agricultural Extension Services in Botswana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bettles, F. M.

Extension services to women in rural Botswana, particularly emphasized since the women's extension program began in 1975, must take into account constraints faced by female farmers, as past development processes have concentrated on male perceptions of concern (the beef industry, modernizing the economy). In Botswana, agriculture has traditionally…

Conducting Assemblies in Botswana Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baamphatlha, Dinama

2011-01-01

In this paper, the author explored the teachers' experiences and their views regarding how assemblies are conducted in Botswana public schools. The author indicates that assemblies are a common feature in Botswana primary and secondary schools. The author adopted the Christian Privilege as the conceptual framework as espoused by Blumenfeld (2006)…

Prescribing pattern of psychotropic medications in child psychiatric practice in a mental referral hospital in Botswana

PubMed Central

Olashore, Anthony; Ayugi, James; Opondo, Philip

2017-01-01

Introduction There is a growing preference for psycho-pharmacological therapy over non-pharmacological care. The prescription pattern and the choice of psychotropic medications vary in different settings. Whilst newer agents and rational prescribing are favored in the more specialized settings, the pattern remains unclear in less specialized units, largely due to lack of data. The aims were to conduct a treatment audit in the only mental referral hospital in Botswana, which is a non-specialized child and adolescent care setting and see how it conforms to best practice. Methods A retrospective audit which involved the extraction of socio-demographic and clinical information from the records of patients who were ≤ 17 years and seen from January 1, 2012-July 31, 2016. Results A total of 238 files were used for this report. Mean age (SD) was 12.41 (4.1) years. Of the 120 (50.4%) patients who had pharmacological intervention, only 85(70.8%) had monotherapy. The most commonly prescribed psychotropic agents were antipsychotics (40%). Off-label use of antipsychotics and polypharmacy were 31.2% and 29.2% respectively. Conclusion The level of conformity to standard practice in terms of psychotropic prescribing in our setting is consistent with the reports from developed countries where more specialized care ostensibly exists. Further studies will be necessary to determine the scope of psychotropic use. PMID:28491214

Provision for Learners with Special Educational Needs in Botswana: A Situational Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dart, Gareth

2007-01-01

This paper considers the support of children with special educational needs in Botswana. A variety of sources including policy documents, literature, statistical data, interviews with key personnel and observation, are used to analyse the context and delivery of provision. Botswana is a middle-income country that has seen rapid economic expansion…

Participatory Community Education to Mitigate Human-Elephant Conflict in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zarestky, Jill; Ruyle, Leslie E.

2016-01-01

In northern Botswana, conflict between subsistence farmers and elephants can result in destroyed agricultural crops and death for both species. In June of 2016, students and faculty mentors from four universities traveled to the Okavango Delta region of Botswana to participate in a community education project designed to develop locally relevant…

The Botswana Government's Environmental Policies and the Need To Institutionalize Life Long Environmental Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

JNS, Mutanyatta

This paper highlights the existing Botswana national policy on natural resources conservation and development, as well as the stated conservation strategy, institutions and implementation. In order to achieve Botswana's commitment to sustainable development as a goal which emphasizes both conservation and development, the paper strongly argues for…

Rethinking Education in Botswana: A Need to Overhaul the Botswana Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makwinja, Veronica Margaret

2017-01-01

Botswana through its two educational reform philosophies of 1977 and 1994 envisioned a developing education system that is on par with international standards. According to Tabulawa (2009), the education system was developed to produce critical thinkers, problem solvers, and innovative learners. The system was designed to provide opportunities for…

Classroom Teaching in Botswana and Online Teaching from Georgia: Hard Knocks and Earned Successes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tallman, Julie

2003-01-01

Reports on an experience teaching online internationally, between a lecturer at the University of Georgia and library science students at the University of Botswana, using an auto-ethnographic method to discuss classroom teaching experiences in Botswana and how they influenced course design, teaching style, and desired student learning…

Pathways toward Peace: Negotiating National Unity and Ethnic Diversity through Education in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dryden-Peterson, Sarah; Mulimbi, Bethany

2017-01-01

This study examines how education can disrupt threats of conflict, specifically in the presence of ethnic diversity. We present a historical analysis of Botswana, using methods of process tracing drawing on documents, in-depth interviews, and Afrobarometer survey data. Postindependence Botswana engaged in redistribution of educational access…

Using Adult Education Principles for HIV/AIDS Awareness Intervention Strategies in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preece, Julia; Ntseane, Gabo

2004-01-01

This paper reports on a mainly qualitative study into company strategies for HIV/AIDS information, education and communication (IEC) strategies in the Botswana workplace. The authors argue that HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention strategies in Botswana need a new approach. The research proposal hypothesized that IEC strategies need to take account…

HIV/AIDS-Anxiety among Adolescent Students in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onyewadume, Mary Adeola

2008-01-01

This research investigated the incidence of HIV/AIDS anxiety among students in Botswana. The sample comprised 240 randomly selected students from six schools in three districts in Botswana, with data collected via a questionnaire. Percentages and Chi-square were used to analyze the extent to which the students were anxious about HIV/AIDS and if…

Strengthening healthcare capacity through a responsive, country-specific, training standard: the KITSO AIDS training program's support of Botswana's national antiretroviral therapy rollout.

PubMed

Bussmann, Christine; Rotz, Philip; Ndwapi, Ndwapi; Baxter, Daniel; Bussmann, Hermann; Wester, C William; Ncube, Patricia; Avalos, Ava; Mine, Madisa; Mabe, Elang; Burns, Patricia; Cardiello, Peter; Makhema, Joseph; Marlink, Richard

2008-01-01

In parallel with the rollout of Botswana's national antiretroviral therapy (ART) program, the Botswana Ministry of Health established the KITSO AIDS Training Program by entering into long-term partnerships with the Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership for HIV Research and Education and others to provide standardized, country-specific training in HIV/AIDS care. The KITSO training model has strengthened human capacity within Botswana's health sector and been indispensable to successful ART rollout. Through core and advanced training courses and clinical mentoring, different cadres of health care workers have been trained to provide high-quality HIV/AIDS care at all ART sites in the country. Continuous and standardized clinical education will be crucial to sustain the present level of care and successfully address future treatment challenges.

Transforming Schools into Democratic Organisations: The Case of the Secondary Schools Management Development Project in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monyatsi, Pedzani Perci

2005-01-01

As a democratic country which aims at nurturing and sustaining its envied democracy, organisations in Botswana are expected and encouraged to build and maintain democratic structures and principles. In September 1993, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Botswana and the then British Overseas Development Agency (ODA) launched an ambitious…

Lifelong Learning and the Pursuit of a Vision for Sustainable Development in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maruatona, Tonic

2011-01-01

This paper analyses Botswana's commitment to lifelong learning policy and discusses how it can help the state achieve its vision for sustainable development. First, it argues that while Botswana is renowned for its economic success, it still fails to address positively such traditional challenges as poverty, unemployment and income inequality,…

Pragmatizing Democratic Education in Botswana through Business Education: Countering the Scourge of the Diploma Disease

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jotia, Agreement Lathi; Sithole, Burman Musa

2016-01-01

Meaningful and emancipatory education which empowers citizens as democrats is the ideal education which can propel the socio-economic and political fibre of nay nation-state. After independence, Botswana aligned her education system with the envisioned development process. The sad thing about this ambitious approach in Botswana is that it sought…

Educational Technology Adopters: A Case Study in University of Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dintoe, Seitebaleng Susan

2018-01-01

Although University of Botswana implemented national ICT policies and trained the lecturers to use educational technology, there was low-level use of eLearning in teaching and learning. In this regard, qualitative case study approach was used to explore and specifically focus on one aspect of the phenomenon; that is, the University of Botswana as…

Inside Practice of Science Teachers for Students with Hearing Impairments in Botswana Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mukhopadhyay, Sourav; Moswela, Emmanuel

2010-01-01

In this qualitative study the authors describe how students with severe to profound hearing impairments learn science subjects in primary school in Botswana. Twenty-two teachers from two centres of deaf education in Botswana were recruited purposively to take part in the current study. Multilayered data collection methods were utilized to gain an…

The Impact of HIV/AIDS and ARV Treatment on Worker Absenteeism: Implications for African Firms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Habyarimana, James; Mbakile, Bekezela; Pop-Eleches, Cristian

2010-01-01

We characterize medium and long-run labor market impacts of HIV/AIDS and ARV treatment using unique panel data of worker absenteeism and information from an AIDS treatment program at a large mining firm in Botswana. We present robust evidence of an inverse-V shaped pattern in worker absenteeism around the time of ARV treatment inception.…

Evaluation of Family Planning Programmes, An Example from Botswana. Research for Action No. 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Sheila

Since 1969 the International Planned Parenthood Federation has worked with the government of Botswana in setting up family planning services. An evaluation of the family planning aspects of the program were carried out. This is a summary of three research studies and some general comments. Included is: (1) an introduction to Botswana and the…

Teacher Participation in School Decision-Making and Job Satisfaction as Correlates of Organizational Commitment in Senior Schools in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mosheti, Paul Alan

2013-01-01

The Problem: Two major national educational challenges in Botswana are to retain teachers and recruit more. Both retention and recruitment efforts often involve issues of teacher decision-making, teacher job satisfaction, and how these correlate with commitment to the school organization. Little was known about Botswana teachers' views on these…

The Perceptions of Senior Management Teams' (SMTs) Dominant Leadership Styles in Selected Botswana Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mhozya, C. M.

2010-01-01

This study, which was funded by the office of research and development (ORD) in the University of Botswana, surveyed 65 primary schools in South Central region in Botswana, which aimed at establishing the perceptions of senior management teams dominant leadership style. The study was done in three phases; the first phase started in June 2008 to…

Teacher-Reported Quality of Schooling Indicators in Botswana Primary Schools: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ntinda, Kayi; Ntinda, Magdalene Nakalowa; Mpofu, Elias

2015-01-01

This study examined teacher self-reported views on quality indicators in Botswana primary schools. A purposively selected sample of primary school teachers in the city of Gaborone, Botswana (N = 72, females = 56; males = 16; mean age = 39 years, SD = 7.17 years; mean years of service = 15.6; SD= 8 years; public schools = 65%; private schools =…

Information Literacy and Digital Divide: The Case of the University of Botswana Students Studying Part-Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kgosiemang, Rose T.

2016-01-01

In Botswana, the costs and requirements to study full-time are very high. Not everyone can afford to study full-time without forfeiting their current roles, for example, in 1999 the Center for Continuing Education (CCE) in Botswana launched a Diploma in Primary Education distance education programme, to upgrade academic and professional…

The University of Botswana and the University of Tromso Collaborative Program: Its Relevance to Minority Education and San Youth Capacity-Building

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolaane, Maitseo; Saugestad, Sidsel

2011-01-01

This article highlights a multidisciplinary collaborative program between the University of Botswana and the University of Tromso, Norway, focusing on San research and capacity-building. After 12 years of operation, this program led, in April 2010, to the creation of a new "Research Center for San Studies" at the University of Botswana.…

Teaching Group Counseling in Botswana: Two U.S.-Trained Counselors Discuss Experiences and Share Cultural Considerations for Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coker, Angela D.; Majuta, Aaron R.

2015-01-01

There is a paucity of research in the area of teaching group counseling within an African context. In this article we describe and reflect on our experiences teaching group counseling at an institution of higher learning in the country of Botswana. We discuss cultural traditions and strengths that support an environment of group work in Botswana,…

"My Eyes Went Wide Open"--An Evaluation of the Special Needs Education Awareness Course at Molepolole College of Education, Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dart, Gareth

2006-01-01

This article is an evaluation of the special needs education awareness course run at Molepolole College of Education, Botswana. The course directly reflects the Government of Botswana's policy on special education and seeks to provide students with a wide range of skills and knowledge to help them identify and support pupils with a variety of…

From Perception and Knowledge to Classroom Practice: Teaching Listening Comprehension to Setswana Speakers of English in Junior Schools in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sebina, Boikanyego; Arua, Arua E.

2017-01-01

The study investigated whether teachers' knowledge and positive perception of listening contribute to its teaching in junior secondary schools in Botswana. Using an observation schedule, data were collected from four schools in the Gaborone, Botswana, area. The main finding of the study is that knowledge of listening does not translate into good…

Language and Student Performance in Junior Secondary Science Examinations: The Case of Second Language Learners in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prophet, Robert B.; Badede, Nandkishor B.

2009-01-01

Teaching and testing in science in junior secondary schools in Botswana, takes place in English which is a second language for the majority of Batswana (Citizens of Botswana are called Batswana [sing. Motswana] and the national language is Setswana.) students and a third language for many. The understanding of textual material in science has been…

Community Schooling and State Control: A Dilemma in the Innovation and Reform of Botswana's Basic Education System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tshireletso, Lucky

This paper examines the Botswana government's objectives and implementation strategies in the development of community secondary schools. With a population of 1.5 million and an annual growth rate of 3.5 percent, Botswana is one of the fastest growing countries in the world. Recent dramatic economic growth, largely due to diamond revenues, has not…

The effect of interview method on self-reported sexual behavior and perceptions of community norms in Botswana.

PubMed

Anglewicz, Philip; Gourvenec, Diana; Halldorsdottir, Iris; O'Kane, Cate; Koketso, Obakeng; Gorgens, Marelize; Kasper, Toby

2013-02-01

Since self-reports of sensitive behaviors play an important role in HIV/AIDS research, the accuracy of these measures has often been examined. In this paper we (1) examine the effect of three survey interview methods on self-reported sexual behavior and perceptions of community sexual norms in Botswana, and (2) introduce an interview method to research on self-reported sexual behavior in sub-Saharan Africa. Comparing across these three survey methods (face-to-face, ballot box, and randomized response), we find that ballot box and randomized response surveys both provide higher reports of sensitive behaviors; the results for randomized response are particularly strong. Within these overall patterns, however, there is variation by question type; additionally the effect of interview method differs by sex. We also examine interviewer effects to gain insight into the effectiveness of these interview methods, and our results suggest that caution be used when interpreting the differences between survey methods.

The Rise and Attenuation of the Basic Education Programme (BEP) in Botswana: A Global-Local Dialectic Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tabulawa, Richard

2011-01-01

Using a global-local dialectic approach, this paper traces the rise of the basic education programme in the 1980s and 1990s in Botswana and its subsequent attenuation in the 2000s. Amongst the local forces that led to the rise of BEP were Botswana's political project of nation-building; the country's dire human resources situation in the decades…

Building locally relevant ethics curricula for nursing education in Botswana.

PubMed

Barchi, F; Kasimatis Singleton, M; Magama, M; Shaibu, S

2014-12-01

The goal of this multi-institutional collaboration was to develop an innovative, locally relevant ethics curriculum for nurses in Botswana. Nurses in Botswana face ethical challenges that are compounded by lack of resources, pressures to handle tasks beyond training or professional levels, workplace stress and professional isolation. Capacity to teach nursing ethics in the classroom and in professional practice settings has been limited. A pilot curriculum, including cases set in local contexts, was tested with nursing faculty in Botswana in 2012. Thirty-three per cent of the faculty members indicated they would be more comfortable teaching ethics. A substantial number of faculty members were more likely to introduce the International Council of Nurses Code of Ethics in teaching, practice and mentoring as a result of the training. Based on evaluation data, curricular materials were developed using the Code and the regulatory requirements for nursing practice in Botswana. A web-based repository of sample lectures, discussion cases and evaluation rubrics was created to support the use of the materials. A new master degree course, Nursing Ethics in Practice, has been proposed for fall 2015 at the University of Botswana. The modular nature of the materials and the availability of cases set within the context of clinical nurse practice in Botswana make them readily adaptable to various student academic levels and continuing professional development programmes. The ICN Code of Ethics for Nursing is a valuable teaching tool in developing countries when taught using locally relevant case materials and problem-based teaching methods. The approach used in the development of a locally relevant nursing ethics curriculum in Botswana can serve as a model for nursing education and continuing professional development programmes in other sub-Saharan African countries to enhance use of the ICN Code of Ethics in nursing practice. © 2014 International Council of Nurses.

Early School Withdrawals and Underperformance as Indicators of Poor Attention to Learner's Welfare: Botswana in 50 Years of Self-Rule

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marumo, Boipuso B.; Pansiri, Nkobi O.

2016-01-01

September 30th 2016 was Botswana's 50th birthday. Botswana, a deeply impoverished country in 1966 was on that day an upper-middle income country in the world rankings. Its education expenditure was one of the highest in the world, at around 9% of the GDP. It was on record to have provided more than 90% of universal and free primary education.…

Food insecurity and CD4% Among HIV+ children in Gaborone, Botswana.

PubMed

Mendoza, Jason A; Matshaba, Mogomotsi; Makhanda, Jeremiah; Liu, Yan; Boitshwarelo, Matshwenyego; Anabwani, Gabriel M

2014-08-01

We investigated the association between household food insecurity (HFI) and CD4% among 2-6-year old HIV+ outpatients (n = 78) at the Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Center of Excellence in Gaborone, Botswana. HFI was assessed by a validated survey. CD4% data were abstracted from the medical record. We used multiple linear regression with CD4% (dependent variable), HFI (independent variable), and controlled for sociodemographic and clinical covariates. Multiple linear regression showed a significant main effect for HFI [beta = -0.6, 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.0 to -0.1] and child gender (beta = 5.6, 95% CI: 1.3 to 9.8). Alleviating food insecurity may improve pediatric HIV outcomes in Botswana and similar Sub-Saharan settings.

Estimating Soil Moisture from Satellite Microwave Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Owe, M.; VandeGriend, A. A.; deJeu, R.; deVries, J.; Seyhan, E.

1998-01-01

Cooperative research in microwave remote sensing between the Hydrological Sciences Branch of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the Earth Sciences Faculty of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam began with the Botswana Water and Energy Balance Experiment and has continued through a series of highly successful International Research Programs. The collaboration between these two research institutions has resulted in significant scientific achievements, most notably in the area of satellite-based microwave remote sensing of soil moisture. The Botswana Program was the first joint research initiative between these two institutions, and provided a unique data base which included historical data sets of Scanning Multifrequency Microwave Radiometer (SN4NM) data, climate information, and extensive soil moisture measurements over several large experimental sites in southeast Botswana. These data were the basis for the development of new approaches in physically-based inverse modelling of soil moisture from satellite microwave observations. Among the results from this study were quantitative estimates of vegetation transmission properties at microwave frequencies. A single polarization modelling approach which used horizontally polarized microwave observations combined with monthly composites of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index was developed, and yielded good results. After more precise field experimentation with a ground-based radiometer system, a dual-polarization approach was subsequently developed. This new approach realized significant improvements in soil moisture estimation by satellite. Results from the Botswana study were subsequently applied to a desertification monitoring study for the country of Spain within the framework of the European Community science research programs EFEDA and RESMEDES. A dual frequency approach with only microwave data was used for this application. The Microwave Polarization Difference Index (MPDI) was calculated from 37 GHz data and used to derive the one-way canopy transmissivity. Using a simple radiative transfer model, this information was combined with horizontally polarized 6.6 GHz SMMR observations to derive a 9-year time series of soil moisture for all of Spain at a one quarter degree spatial scale. Both day and night SMMR observations were used independently, in order to check the consistency of the results. A first order Fourier Transform was performed on the mean monthly soil moisture values to identify major characteristics of time series such as trend, amplitude, and phase shift.

Cultural considerations in theories of adolescent development: a case study from Botswana.

PubMed

Ntsayagae, Esther; Sabone, Motshedise; Mogobe, Keitshokile D; Seboni, Naomi M; Sebego, Miriam; Brown, Marie Scott

2008-01-01

Western studies of adolescent development are beginning to corporate not only the traditional ideas of nature and nurture, but also contextual factors such as culture, ecology and historical time. This article explores how adolescent development is influenced by both a specific culture (Botswana) and a specific ecological situation (the rampant HIV pandemic in that country). A case study of late adolescents living in this pandemic in Botswana helps broaden our traditional views of adolescent development.

A Spatially Distributed Hydrological Model For The Okavango Delta, Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, P.; Kinzelbach, W.; Thabeng, G.

2003-04-01

The Okavango Delta is a large (˜30 000 km^2) inland delta situated in northern Botswana. It is subject to annual flooding due to the strong seasonality of the inflowing Okavango River and of local rainfall. The inflowing waters spread out over vast perennial and seasonal floodplains and partially infiltrate into the underlying sand aquifer. Ultimately, the water is consumed by evapotranspiration, there is no significant outflow from the Delta. The system's response to the annual flood in the Okavango River as well as local rainfall and evapotranspiration is modelled within a finite difference scheme based on MODFLOW. The wetland and the underlying sand aquifer are incorporated as two separate layers. In the superficial layer, either steady uniform channel flow (Darcy-Weisbach equation) or potential flow (Darcy flow) can be chosen on a cell-by-cell basis. The coarse spatial resolution does not capture the small-scale variation in the topographic elevation. Therefore, upscaling techniques are applied to incorporate the statistics of that variation into effective parameters for the hydraulic conductivity, the storage coefficient and the evapotranspiration. Modelled flooding patterns are compared with flooding patterns derived from NOAA-AVHRR and other remote sensing data (1 km resolution). Good correspondence between the two is achieved based on parameters chosen according to prior knowledge and field data. Global indicators like the average size of the Delta and the temporal variance of its size are closely reproduced. Ultimately, the remotely sensed flooding patterns will be used to calibrate the model. Apart from flooding patterns, model outputs include cell-by-cell flow terms. Water balances can be calculated for arbitrary sub-regions of the grid. Other monitoring data like water levels in rivers and boreholes as well as discharges at gauging points may be used for validation of the model. The Okavango Delta is one of the prime conservation areas in Africa and a top-destination for international tourism. It is the principal freshwater resource for the local people. Furthermore, three countries (Angola, Namibia and Botswana) share the river basin and most of the runoff in the river is actually generated in Angola. Some intricate management problems arise in this complex set-up of interests and stakeholders (dam building in Angola, water abstraction, morphological engineering in the Delta etc.). In some cases, scenario calculations may help to assess the impacts of the planned actions and to analyse their sustainability prior to implementation.

Addressing the Growing Cancer Burden in the Wake of the AIDS Epidemic in Botswana: The BOTSOGO Collaborative Partnership

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

Efstathiou, Jason A., E-mail: jefstathiou@partners.org; Bvochora-Nsingo, Memory; Gierga, David P.

2014-07-01

Botswana has experienced a dramatic increase in HIV-related malignancies over the past decade. The BOTSOGO collaboration sought to establish a sustainable partnership with the Botswana oncology community to improve cancer care. This collaboration is anchored by regular tumor boards and on-site visits that have resulted in the introduction of new approaches to treatment and perceived improvements in care, providing a model for partnership between academic oncology centers and high-burden countries with limited resources.

Lessons from the field: the conduct of randomized controlled trials in Botswana.

PubMed

Bonsu, Janice M; Frasso, Rosemary; Curry, Allison E

2017-10-27

The conduct of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in low-resource settings may present unique financial, logistic, and process-related challenges. Middle-income countries that have comparable disease burdens to low-income countries, but greater availability of resources, may be conducive settings for RCTs. Indeed, the country of Botswana is experiencing a rapid increase in the conduct of RCTs. Our objective was to explore the experiences of individuals conducting RCTs in Botswana to gain an understanding of the challenges and adaptive strategies to their work. We conducted in-depth interviews with 14 national and international individuals working on RCTs in Botswana. Participants included principal investigators, research coordinators, lab technicians, research assistants, and other healthcare professionals. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and coded for thematic analysis. Five primary themes were identified: ethics board relationships (including delays in the process); research staff management (including staff attrition and career development); study recruitment and retention (including the use of reimbursements); resource availability (including challenges accessing laboratory equipment); and capacity-building (including issues of exporting locally sourced samples). These themes were explored to discuss key challenges and adaptive strategies. This study offers a first-hand account of individuals engaged in conducting RCTs in Botswana, a nation that is experiencing a rapid increase in research activities. Findings provide a foundational understanding for researchers in Botswana and trial managers in similar settings when planning RCTs so that the conduct of research does not outpace the ability to manage, support, and regulate it.

Development of the National Health Information Systems in Botswana: Pitfalls, prospects and lessons.

PubMed

Seitio-Kgokgwe, Onalenna; Gauld, Robin D C; Hill, Philip C; Barnett, Pauline

2015-01-01

Studies evaluating development of health information systems in developing countries are limited. Most of the available studies are based on pilot projects or cross-sectional studies. We took a longitudinal approach to analysing the development of Botswana's health information systems. We aimed to: (i) trace the development of the national health information systems in Botswana (ii) identify pitfalls during development and prospects that could be maximized to strengthen the system; and (iii) draw lessons for Botswana and other countries working on establishing or improving their health information systems. This article is based on data collected through document analysis and key informant interviews with policy makers, senior managers and staff of the Ministry of Health and senior officers from various stakeholder organizations. Lack of central coordination, weak leadership, weak policy and regulatory frameworks, and inadequate resources limited development of the national health information systems in Botswana. Lack of attention to issues of organizational structure is one of the major pitfalls. The ongoing reorganization of the Ministry of Health provides opportunity to reposition the health information system function. The current efforts including development of the health information management policy and plan could enhance the health information management system.

Impacts of climate change on rainfall, seasonal flooding, and evapotranspiration in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konecky, B. L.; Noone, D.; Mosimanyana, E.; Gondwe, M.

2016-12-01

The Okavango Delta in northern Botswana is one of the world's richest biodiversity hotspots. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Delta is known for its unique annual flood pulse, whereby the wetland and its neighboring river systems are inundated with waters that travel nearly 1000 km before reaching this subtropical, semi-arid destination. The livelihoods of northern Botswana's ecosystems and human populations rely on these floods to supplement the short and variable rainy season, which in many years is too minimal to ameliorate regional drought. However, anthropogenic climate change is reducing the amount of water that reaches the delta by increasing evaporation from soils and rivers, and transpiration by vegetation, during its long transit to Botswana. Future changes in rainfall patterns, extreme events, and increased upstream water use could exacerbate this water stress. Unfortunately, it remains difficult to assess the impacts of climate change on the delta because few data exist to constrain its complex climatic and seasonal water cycling regimes. This study presents a novel characterization of the water cycle in and around the Okavango Delta based on a survey of free-flowing surface waters, stagnant pools, precipitation, and groundwater carried out during the 2016 rainy and early-flood season. We use stable isotope and water quality data to assess local moisture sources, transport, evaporation, wetland flushing, and land-atmosphere exchanges, all of which are subject to change under global warming. We find a strong evaporation gradient and a progressive flushing of stagnant swamp waters along the northeastern and northwestern channels of the Delta. The evaporation gradient is more limited in nearby rivers with more limited wetlands. We contrast results with a survey of the Delta performed in the 1970's in order to assess changes over the past 40 years. Since some of these changes may arise from rainfall supply, we also present new analysis of rainfall moisture sources and transport characteristics during 2016's unusually-late wet season, using both in situ and satellite data. Implications are discussed for the large-scale water cycling over the southern African continental interior. These data serve as a baseline for future monitoring under climate change.

Strengthening monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and building sustainable health information systems in resource limited countries: lessons learned from an M&E task-shifting initiative in Botswana.

PubMed

Mpofu, Mulamuli; Semo, Bazghina-Werq; Grignon, Jessica; Lebelonyane, Refeletswe; Ludick, Steven; Matshediso, Ellah; Sento, Baraedi; Ledikwe, Jenny H

2014-10-03

The demand for quality data and the interest in health information systems has increased due to the need for country-level progress reporting towards attainment of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and global health initiatives. To improve monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of health programs in Botswana, 51 recent university graduates with no experience in M&E were recruited and provided with on-the-job training and mentoring to develop a new cadre of health worker: the district M&E officer. Three years after establishment of the cadre, an assessment was conducted to document achievements and lessons learnt. This qualitative assessment included in-depth interviews at the national level (n = 12) with officers from government institutions, donor agencies, and technical organizations; and six focus group discussions separately with district M&E officers, district managers, and program officers coordinating different district health programs. Reported achievements of the cadre included improved health worker capacity to monitor and evaluate programs within the districts; improved data quality, management, and reporting; increased use of health data for disease surveillance, operational research, and planning purposes; and increased availability of time for nurses and other health workers to concentrate on core clinical duties. Lessons learnt from the assessment included: the importance of clarifying roles for newly established cadres, aligning resources and equipment to expectations, importance of stakeholder collaboration in implementation of sustainable programs, and ensuring retention of new cadres. The development of a dedicated M&E cadre at the district level contributed positively to health information systems in Botswana by helping build M&E capacity and improving data quality, management, and data use. This assessment has shown that such cadres can be developed sustainably if the initiative is country-led, focusing on recruitment and capacity-development of local counterparts, with a clear government retention plan.

Knowledge and perceptions of parents regarding child sexual abuse in Botswana and Swaziland.

PubMed

Mathoma, Anikie M; Maripe-Perera, Dorcas B; Khumalo, Lindiwe P; Mbayi, Bagele L; Seloilwe, Esther S

2006-02-01

This study sought to explore the phenomenon of child sexual abuse by investigating the knowledge and perceptions of parents regarding this problem in Botswana and Swaziland. Although there are no published studies on child sexual abuse in Botswana and Swaziland, literature elsewhere has indicated that child abuse and prostitution prevail in Southern African Development Community countries and that children still continue to be rape victims within and outside the family structure [Muwanigwa, V. (1996). Child Abuse Demands More Preventive Measures. Harare: Zimbabwe. (Southern Africa News Features Southern African Research and Documentation Center)]. In Botswana in 1998, there were 300 cases of child abuse reported, of which 33 were sexual abuse cases. The same year in Swaziland, >50% of child abuse cases were sexual abuse related. In addition, the same year in Swaziland, >50% of sexual abuse case patients reporting for counseling were children younger than 21 years. Respondents of the study included 8 men (1 from Swaziland and 7 from Botswana) and 10 women (3 from Swaziland and 7 from Botswana) who were parents aged between 26 and 70 years; they were determined by way of purposive sampling. A focused interview guide with open-ended questions was used to collect data, and measures to ensure trustworthiness and ethical considerations were adhered to. Analysis of data was facilitated by categorization of themes and concepts and coding systems. The results of the study showed that the respondents acknowledged the prevalence of child sexual abuse in Botswana and Swaziland and further demonstrated their knowledge of the predisposing factors, perpetrators of the problem, and effects of sexual abuse on children. They placed major emphases on community involvement in fighting against the problem; appropriate education of children, parents, families, and community members about child sexual abuse; and improvement on the laws that protect children against sexual abuse to successfully curb the problem.

Botswana Blues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grove-Smith, Tricia

1978-01-01

This description of the Botswana National Library Service (B.N.L.S.) with its central headquarters and 13 branches provides insights into communication problems, development of services, and clientele in an area where books and reading are still a new exciting idea. (MBR)

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge and skills of registered nurses in Botswana.

PubMed

Rajeswaran, Lakshmi; Ehlers, Valerie J

2014-01-01

In Botswana nurses provide most health care in the primary, secondary and tertiary level clinics and hospitals. Trauma and medical emergencies are on the increase, and nurses should have cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) knowledge and skills in order to be able to implement effective interventions in cardiac arrest situations. The objective of this descriptive study was to assess registered nurses’ CPR knowledge and skills. A pre-test, intervention and re-test time-series research design was adopted, and data were collected from 102 nurses from the 2 referral hospitals in Botswana. A multiple-choice questionnaire and checklist were used to collect data. All nurses failed the pre-test. Their knowledge and skills improved after training, but deteriorated over the three months until the post-test was conducted. The significantly low levels of registered nurses’ CPR skills in Botswana should be addressed by instituting country-wide CPR training and regular refresher courses

Emotional violence among women in intimate relationships in Botswana.

PubMed

Thupayagale-Tshweneagae, Gloria; Seloilwe, Esther Salang

2010-01-01

A Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to investigate the lived experience of women in Botswana who had experienced emotional abuse in intimate relationships. Hermeneutic phenomenology is concerned with the human experience as it is lived. Ten educated Botswana women who had formal employment and have been in intimate relationships for longer than ten years, narrated their life experiences with abusive men. Extensive interviews took place over a six month period. Sociocultural practices in Botswana emerged as salient factors that contribute to emotional abuse and predispose women to mental illness. Entwined in these cultural practices are issues of age, ethnicity, payment of lobola (bride price), financial standing, change of name, and relocation to the man's residence. Education and employment seem to worsen the abuse. Depression and anxiety are common results of abuse. Understanding how the sociocultural factors perpetuate abuse can assist nurses in the way they provide health care services to women.

A review of formal institutions affecting water supply and access in Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mogomotsi, Patricia K.; Mogomotsi, Goemeone E. J.; Matlhola, Dimpho M.

2018-06-01

Over the years, many countries across the world have increasingly experienced the collapse of their ecosystems, leading to an elevated increase on the demand for freshwater resources. Botswana is not an exception. The problem of disrupted potable water supply is widespread across the country. However, the physical shortage of water in the country is arguably coupled by lack of effective and efficient water supply and management institutions and water infrastructure. Most of the research on water scarcity in Botswana is mostly inclined towards physical water scarcity, while little is investigated on how the design of institutions for water management in developing countries leads to water scarcity. Furthermore, the premises of most research is neoclassical economics ideas, thereby offering solutions as developing and/or reforming water markets and water pricing mechanisms, among other findings. This paper analyses potable water supply and access in Botswana within a new institutional economics paradigm. The study examines key features of water institutions in Botswana on how they affect water supply and access, applying new institutional economics fundamentals. The study extensively uses various secondary data sources including weather and climate reports, policy documents, maps and charts and survey data, among others. The paper argues that to achieve effective water allocation in Botswana, there is a need to balance social and environmental water resource needs through water policies and other statutory enactments, as well as the crafting of practical management strategies. The country, therefore, requires not only a swift institutional transformation in the water sector, but also needs practical governance structure necessary for implementing integrated water resources management and driving water resources towards sustainability.

Rural exposure during medical education and student preference for future practice location - a case of Botswana.

PubMed

Arscott-Mills, Tonya; Kebaabetswe, Poloko; Tawana, Gothusang; Mbuka, Deogratias O; Makgabana-Dintwa, Orabile; Sebina, Kagiso; Kebaetse, Masego; Mokgatlhe, Lucky; Nkomazana, Oathokwa

2016-06-10

Botswana's medical school graduated its first class in 2014. Given the importance of attracting doctors to rural areas the school incorporated rural exposure throughout its curriculum. This study explored the impact of rural training on students' attitudes towards rural practice. The University of Botswana family medicine rural training sites, Maun and Mahalapye. The study used a mixed-methods design. After rural family medicine rotations, third- and fifth-year students were invited to complete a questionnaire and semi-structured interview. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The thirty-six participants' age averaged 23 years and 48.6% were male. Thirtythree desired urban practice in a public institution or university. Rural training did not influence preferred future practice location. Most desired specialty training outside Botswana but planned to practice in Botswana. Professional stagnation, isolation, poorly functioning health facilities, dysfunctional referral systems, and perceived lack of learning opportunities were barriers to rural practice. Lack of recreation and poor infrastructure were personal barriers. Many appreciated the diversity of practice and supportive staff seen in rural practice. Several considered monetary compensation as an enticement for rural practice. Only those with a rural background perceived proximity to family as an incentive to rural practice. The majority of those interviewed plan to practice in urban Botswana, however, they did identify factors that, if addressed, may increase rural practice in the future. Establishing systems to facilitate professional development, strengthening specialists support, and deploying doctors near their home towns are strategies that may improve retention of doctors in rural areas.Keyords: rural health, student perceptions.

Trauma care in Africa: a status report from Botswana, guided by the World Health Organization's "Guidelines for Essential Trauma Care".

PubMed

Hanche-Olsen, Terje Peder; Alemu, Lulseged; Viste, Asgaut; Wisborg, Torben; Hansen, Kari S

2012-10-01

Trauma represents a significant and increasing challenge to health care systems all over the world. This study aimed to evaluate the trauma care capabilities of Botswana, a middle-income African country, by applying the World Health Organization's Guidelines for Essential Trauma Care. All 27 government (16 primary, 9 district, 2 referral) hospitals were surveyed. A questionnaire and checklist, based on "Guidelines for Essential Trauma Care" and locally adapted, were developed as situation analysis tools. The questionnaire assessed local trauma organization, capacity, and the presence of quality improvement activity. The checklist assessed physical availability of equipment and timely availability of trauma-related skills. Information was collected by interviews with hospital administrators, key personnel within trauma care, and through on-site physical inspection. Hospitals in Botswana are reasonably well supplied with human and physical resources for trauma care, although deficiencies were noted. At the primary and district levels, both capacity and equipment for airway/breathing management and vascular access was limited. Trauma administrative functions were largely absent at all levels. No hospital in Botswana had any plans for trauma education, separate from or incorporated into other improvement activities. Team organization was nonexistent, and training activities in the emergency room were limited. This study draws a picture of trauma care capabilities of an entire African country. Despite good organizational structures, Botswana has room for substantial improvement. Administrative functions, training, and human and physical resources could be improved. By applying the guidelines, this study creates an objective foundation for improved trauma care in Botswana.

Orphan care in Botswana's working households: growing responsibilities in the absence of adequate support.

PubMed

Miller, Candace M; Gruskin, Sofia; Subramanian, S V; Rajaraman, Divya; Heymann, S Jody

2006-08-01

Botswana has one of the world's highest HIV-prevalence rates and the world's highest percentages of orphaned children among its population. We assessed the ability of income-earning households in Botswana to adequately care for orphans. We used data from the Botswana Family Health Needs Study (2002), a sample of 1033 working adults with caregiving responsibilities who used public services, to assess whether households with orphan-care responsibilities encountered financial and other difficulties. Thirty-seven percent of respondents provided orphan care, usually to extended family members. We applied logistic regression models to determine the factors associated with experiencing problems related to orphan caregiving. Nearly half of working households with orphan-care responsibilities reported experiencing financial and other difficulties because of orphan care. Issues of concern included caring for multiple orphans, caring for sick adults and orphans simultaneously, receiving no assistance, and low income. The orphan crisis is impoverishing even working households, where caregivers lack sufficient resources to provide basic needs. Neither the public sector nor communities provide adequate safety nets. International assistance is critical to build capacity within the social welfare infrastructure and to fund community-level activities that support households. Lessons from Botswana's orphan crisis can provide valuable insights to policymakers throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

Clinical Malaria Transmission Trends and Its Association with Climatic Variables in Tubu Village, Botswana: A Retrospective Analysis.

PubMed

Chirebvu, Elijah; Chimbari, Moses John; Ngwenya, Barbara Ntombi; Sartorius, Benn

2016-01-01

Good knowledge on the interactions between climatic variables and malaria can be very useful for predicting outbreaks and preparedness interventions. We investigated clinical malaria transmission patterns and its temporal relationship with climatic variables in Tubu village, Botswana. A 5-year retrospective time series data analysis was conducted to determine the transmission patterns of clinical malaria cases at Tubu Health Post and its relationship with rainfall, flood discharge, flood extent, mean minimum, maximum and average temperatures. Data was obtained from clinical records and respective institutions for the period July 2005 to June 2010, presented graphically and analysed using the Univariate ANOVA and Pearson cross-correlation coefficient tests. Peak malaria season occurred between October and May with the highest cumulative incidence of clinical malaria cases being recorded in February. Most of the cases were individuals aged >5 years. Associations between the incidence of clinical malaria cases and several factors were strong at lag periods of 1 month; rainfall (r = 0.417), mean minimum temperature (r = 0.537), mean average temperature (r = 0.493); and at lag period of 6 months for flood extent (r = 0.467) and zero month for flood discharge (r = 0.497). The effect of mean maximum temperature was strongest at 2-month lag period (r = 0.328). Although malaria transmission patterns varied from year to year the trends were similar to those observed in sub-Saharan Africa. Age group >5 years experienced the greatest burden of clinical malaria probably due to the effects of the national malaria elimination programme. Rainfall, flood discharge and extent, mean minimum and mean average temperatures showed some correlation with the incidence of clinical malaria cases.

Prevalence of G6PD deficiency and associated haematological parameters in children from Botswana.

PubMed

Motshoge, Thato; Ababio, Grace; Aleksenko, Larysa; Souda, Sajini; Muthoga, Charles Waithaka; Mutukwa, Naledi; Tawe, Leabaneng; Ramatlho, Pleasure; Gabaitiri, Lesego; Chihanga, Simon; Mosweunyane, Tjantilili; Hamda, Shimeles; Moakofhi, Kentse; Ntebela, Davies; Peloewetse, Elias; Mazhani, Loeto; Pernica, Jeffrey M; Read, John; Quaye, Isaac K; Paganotti, Giacomo Maria

2018-05-17

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is commonly seen in malaria endemic areas as it is known to confer a selective advantage against malaria. Recently, we reported a high proportion of asymptomatic reservoir of Plasmodium vivax in Botswana, that calls for intervention with primaquine to achieve radical cure of vivax malaria. Considering that individuals with this enzyme deficiency are at risk of haemolysis following primaquine treatment, assessment of the population for the relative frequency of G6PD deficiency is imperative. Samples from 3019 children from all the districts of Botswana were successfully genotyped for polymorphisms at positions 202 and 376 of the G6PD gene. Haematological parameters were also measured. The overall population allele frequency (based on the hemizygous male frequency) was 2.30% (95% CI, 1.77-2.83), while the overall frequency of G6PD-deficient genotypes A- (hemizygote and homozygote genotypes only) was 1.26% (95% CI, 0.86-1.66). G6PD deficiency is spread in Botswana according to the historical prevalence of malaria with a North-West to South-East decreasing gradient trend. There was no association between G6PD status and P. vivax positivity. G6PD A- form was found to be associated with decreased RBC count and haemoglobin levels without a known cause or illness. In conclusion, we report for the first time the prevalence of G6PD deficiency in Botswana which is relevant for strategies in the malaria elimination campaign. Further work to examine the activities of the enzyme in the Botswana population at risk for malaria is warranted. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Interaction between HIV awareness, knowledge, safe sex practice and HIV prevalence: evidence from Botswana.

PubMed

Ray, Ranjan; Sinha, Kompal

2012-05-01

This paper makes methodological and empirical contributions to the study of HIV in the context of Botswana, a country with high HIV prevalence. Comparable evidence is presented from India to put the Botswana results in perspective. The results point to the strong role played by affluence and education in increasing HIV knowledge, promoting safe sex and reducing HIV prevalence. The study presents African evidence on the role played by the empowerment of women in promoting safe sex practices such as condom use. The lack of significant association between HIV prevalence and safe sex practice points to the danger of HIV-infected individuals spreading the disease through multiple sex partners and unprotected sex. This danger is underlined by the finding that females with multiple sex partners are at higher risk of being infected with HIV. These results take on special policy significance in the context of Botswana, where the issue of multiple sex partners has not been adequately addressed in the programme to contain the spread of HIV.

Malaria elimination in Botswana, 2012-2014: achievements and challenges.

PubMed

Chihanga, Simon; Haque, Ubydul; Chanda, Emmanuel; Mosweunyane, Tjantilili; Moakofhi, Kense; Jibril, Haruna Baba; Motlaleng, Mpho; Zhang, Wenyi; Glass, Gregory E

2016-02-24

Botswana significantly reduced its malaria burden between 2000 and 2012. Incidence dropped from 0.99 to 0.01 % and deaths attributed to malaria declined from 12 to 3. The country initiated elimination strategies in October 2012. We examine the progress and challenges during implementation and identify future needs for a successful program in Botswana. A national, rapid notification and response strategy was developed. Cases detected through the routine passive surveillance system at health facilities were intended to initiate screening of contacts around a positive case during follow up. Positive cases were reported to district health management teams to activate district rapid response teams (DRRT). The health facility and the DRRT were to investigate the cases, and screen household members within 100 m of case households within 48 h of notification using rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) and microscopy. Positive malaria cases detected in health facilities were used for spatial analysis. There were 1808 malaria cases recorded in Botswana during 26 months from October, 2012 to December, 2014. Males were more frequently infected (59%) than females. Most cases (60%) were reported from Okavango district which experienced an outbreak in 2013 and 2014. Among the factors creating challenges for malaria eradication, only 1148 cases (63.5%) were captured by the required standardized notification forms. In total, 1080 notified cases were diagnosed by RDT. Of the positive malaria cases, only 227 (12.6%) were monitored at the household level. One hundred (8.7%) cases were associated with national or transnational movement of patients. Local movements of infected individuals within Botswana accounted for 31 cases while 69 (6.01%) cases were imported from other countries. Screening individuals in and around index households identified 37 additional, asymptomatic infections. Oscillating, sporadic and new malaria hot-spots were detected in Botswana during the study period. Botswana's experience shows some of the practical challenges of elimination efforts. Among them are the substantial movements of human infections within and among countries, and the persistence of asymptomatic reservoir infections. Programmatically, challenges include improving the speed of communicating and improving the thoroughness when responding to newly identified cases. The country needs further sustainable interventions to target infections if it is to successfully achieve its elimination goal.

SU-F-P-09: A Global Medical Physics Collaboration for Implementation of Modern Radiotherapy in Botswana

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

Makufa, R; Bvochora-Nsingo, M; Karumekayi, T

2016-06-15

Purpose: The global burden of cancer is considerable, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute have partnered with the oncology community and government of Botswana to form BOTSOGO (BOTSwana Oncology Global Outreach) to address the rising burden of cancer in Botswana. Currently, radiation therapy (RT) is only available at a single linear accelerator (LINAC) in Gaborone Private Hospital (GPH). BOTSOGO worked to limit the absence of RT during a LINAC upgrade and ensure a safe transition to modern radiotherapy techniques. Methods: The existing Elekta Precise LINAC was decommissioned in November 2015 and replacedmore » with a new Elekta VERSA-HD with IMRT/VMAT/CBCT capability. Upgraded treatment planning and record-and-verify systems were also installed. Physicists from GPH and MGH collaborated during an intensive on-site visit in Botswana during the commissioning process. Measurements were performed using newly purchased Sun Nuclear equipment. Photon beams were matched with an existing model to minimize the time needed for beam modeling and machine down time. Additional remote peer review was also employed. Independent dosimetry was performed by irradiating OSLDs, which were subsequently analyzed at MGH. Results: Photon beam quality agreed with reference data within 0.2%. Electron beam data agreed with example clinical data within 3%. Absolute dose calibration was performed using both IAEA and AAPM protocols. Absolute dose measurements with OSLDs agreed within 5%. Quentry cloud-based software was installed to facilitate remote review of treatment plans. Patient treatments resumed in February 2016. The time without RT was reduced, therefore likely resulting in reduced patient morbidity/mortality. Conclusion: A global physics collaboration was utilized to commission a modern LINAC in a resource-constrained setting. This can be a useful model in other areas with limited resources. Further use of technology and on-site exchanges will facilitate the introduction of more advanced techniques in Botswana. We acknowledge funding support from the AAPM International Educational Activities Committee and the NCI Federal Share Proton Beam Program Income Grant.« less

Scaling up a Mobile Telemedicine Solution in Botswana: Keys to Sustainability.

PubMed

Ndlovu, Kagiso; Littman-Quinn, Ryan; Park, Elizabeth; Dikai, Zambo; Kovarik, Carrie L

2014-01-01

Effective health care delivery is significantly compromised in an environment where resources, both human and technical, are limited. Botswana's health care system is one of the many in the African continent with few specialized medical doctors, thereby posing a barrier to patients' access to health care services. In addition, the traditional landline and non-robust Information Technology (IT) network infrastructure characterized by slow bandwidth still dominates the health care system in Botswana. Upgrading of the landline IT infrastructure to meet today's health care demands is a tedious, long, and expensive process. Despite these challenges, there still lies hope in health care delivery utilizing wireless telecommunication services. Botswana has recently experienced tremendous growth in the mobile telecommunication industry coupled with an increase in the number of individually owned mobile devices. This growth inspired the Botswana-UPenn Partnership (BUP) to collaborate with local partners to explore using mobile devices as tools to improve access to specialized health care delivery. Pilot studies were conducted across four medical specialties, including radiology, oral medicine, dermatology, and cervical cancer screening. Findings from the studies became vital evidence in support of the first scale-up project of a mobile telemedicine solution in Botswana, also known as "Kgonafalo." Some technical and social challenges were encountered during the initial studies, such as malfunctioning of mobile devices, accidental damage of devices, and cultural misalignment between IT and healthcare providers. These challenges brought about lessons learnt, including a strong need for unwavering senior management support, establishment of solid local public-private partnerships, and efficient project sustainability plans. Sustainability milestones included the development and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Botswana government and a private telecommunications partner, the publication and awarding of the government tender to a local IT company, and the development and signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the Ministry of Health Clinical Services department and the local tender winner. The initial system scale-up is scheduled to occur in 2014 and to ensure the project's sustainability, the system is aligned with the national eHealth strategy and local ownership of the project remains at the forefront (1).

The characteristics and economic importance of Pterocarpus angolensis in D.C. Botswana.

PubMed

Lumbile, A U; Kwerepe, B C; Kelatlhilwe, M

2007-02-15

Pterocarpus angolensis grows throughout northern Botswana and may be found in all woodland types as well as in evergreen and deciduous forests. It is among the few indigenous trees that thrive in the deep Kalahari sands. P. angolensis produces a hard wood timber of attractive appearance. Due to its flexibility, resistance and lightweight, the communities in Botswana use the species for making door frames, window frames, canoes, canoe peddles, spear handles for use in game hunting, fishing and general construction. The community also use it as a carving and sculpting medium. Traditionally, all parts of the tree are used for medicinal purposes.

Assessment of coalbed gas resources of the Kalahari Basin Province of Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, Africa, 2016

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brownfield, Michael E.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Klett, Timothy R.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Marra, Kristen R.; Hawkins, Sarah J.; Finn, Thomas M.; Le, Phuong A.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.

2017-02-24

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 4.5 trillion cubic feet of coalbed gas in the Kalahari Basin Province of Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, Africa.

Telecommunication and Information Infrastructures in the Botswana and SADC Development Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afullo, Thomas J. O.

1999-01-01

Examines the role of telecommunications and the information infrastructure in the economic development of Botswana. Highlights include the SADC (Southern African Development Community), the role of the World Bank in telecommunications in developing countries, and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) agenda for global telecommunications…

Information needs of Botswana health care workers and perceptions of wikipedia.

PubMed

Park, Elizabeth; Masupe, Tiny; Joseph, Joseph; Ho-Foster, Ari; Chavez, Afton; Jammalamadugu, Swetha; Marek, Andrew; Arumala, Ruth; Ketshogileng, Dineo; Littman-Quinn, Ryan; Kovarik, Carrie

2016-11-01

Since the UN Human Rights Council's recognition on the subject in 2011, the right to access the Internet and information is now considered one of the most basic human rights of global citizens [1,2]. Despite this, an information gap between developed and resource-limited countries remains, and there is scant research on actual information needs of workers themselves. The Republic of Botswana represents a fertile ground to address existing gaps in research, policy, and practice, due to its demonstrated gap in access to information and specialists among rural health care workers (HCWs), burgeoning mHealth capacity, and a timely offer from Orange Telecommunications to access Wikipedia for free on mobile platforms for Botswana subscribers. In this study, we sought to identify clinical information needs of HCWs of Botswana and their perception of Wikipedia as a clinical tool. Twenty-eight facilitated focus groups, consisting of 113 HCWs of various cadres based at district hospitals, clinics, and health posts around Botswana, were employed. Transcription and thematic analysis were performed for those groups. Access to the Internet is limited at most facilities. Most HCWs placed high importance upon using Botswana Ministry of Health (MoH) resources for obtaining credible clinical information. However, the clinical applicability of these materials was limited due to discrepancies amongst sources, potentially outdated information, and poor optimization for time-sensitive circumstances. As a result, HCWs faced challenges, such as loss of patient trust and compromises in patient care. Potential solutions posed by HCWs to address these issues included: multifaceted improvements in Internet infrastructure, access to up-to-date information, transfer of knowledge from MoH to HCW, and improving content and applicability of currently available information. Topics of clinical information needs were broad and encompassed: HIV, TB (Tuberculosis), OB/GYN (Obstetrics and Gynecology), and Pediatrics. HCW attitudes towards Wikipedia were variable; some trusted Wikipedia as a reliable point of care information resource whereas others thought that its use should be restricted and monitored by the MoH. There is a demonstrated need for accessible, reliable, and up-to-date information to aid clinical practice in Botswana. Attitudes towards Wikipedia as an open information resource tool are at best, split. Therefore, future studies are necessary to determine the accuracy, currency, and relevancy of Wikipedia articles on the health topics identified by health care workers as areas of information need. More broadly speaking, future efforts should be dedicated to configure a quality-controlled, readily accessible mobile platform based clinical information application tool fitting for Botswana. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Botswana alcohol policy and the presidential levy controversy.

PubMed

Pitso, Joseph M N; Obot, Isidore S

2011-05-01

To assess the state of alcohol policy in Botswana in the context of a substantial levy imposed on alcohol sales by the President. DESIGN, MEASUREMENTS: Analysis of policy documents and media reports to describe the drivers of policy formation. Botswana. Legislation aimed at addressing the problem of excessive consumption of alcohol in the country has been proposed and enacted since independence in 1966 and a draft national alcohol policy is currently being debated. The policy recognizes the need to protect the rights of adult citizens of Botswana to purchase and consume alcohol in a safe and well-regulated manner and the role of government in ensuring that vulnerable members of the community are protected against the impact of harmful use of alcohol. In 2008, controversy erupted over the proposal by the President of the country to impose a 70% levy on alcohol products, later reduced to 30%. The industry responded by threatening to go to court and has since focused their response on what they claim to be serious economic losses due to reduced consumption of their products. The ongoing controversy in Botswana calls attention to the role of the industry in influencing the debate on alcohol and the need to keep in mind overall public health interest in efforts to develop and implement a national alcohol policy. © 2011 The Authors, Addiction © 2011 Society for the Study of Addiction.

The impact of alcohol and road traffic policies on crash rates in Botswana, 2004-2011: a time-series analysis.

PubMed

Sebego, Miriam; Naumann, Rebecca B; Rudd, Rose A; Voetsch, Karen; Dellinger, Ann M; Ndlovu, Christopher

2014-09-01

In Botswana, increased development and motorization have brought increased road traffic-related death rates. Between 1981 and 2001, the road traffic-related death rate in Botswana more than tripled. The country has taken several steps over the last several years to address the growing burden of road traffic crashes and particularly to address the burden of alcohol-related crashes. This study examines the impact of the implementation of alcohol and road safety-related policies on crash rates, including overall crash rates, fatal crash rates, and single-vehicle nighttime fatal (SVNF) crash rates, in Botswana from 2004 to 2011. The overall crash rate declined significantly in June 2009 and June 2010, such that the overall crash rate from June 2010 to December 2011 was 22% lower than the overall crash rate from January 2004 to May 2009. Additionally, there were significant declines in average fatal crash and SVNF crash rates in early 2010. Botswana's recent crash rate reductions occurred during a time when aggressive policies and other activities (e.g., education, enforcement) were implemented to reduce alcohol consumption and improve road safety. While it is unclear which of the policies or activities contributed to these declines and to what extent, these reductions are likely the result of several, combined efforts. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implementation of m-health applications in Botswana: telemedicine and education on mobile devices in a low resource setting.

PubMed

Littman-Quinn, Ryan; Mibenge, Chikoti; Antwi, Cynthia; Chandra, Amit; Kovarik, Carrie L

2013-02-01

Although Botswana has recently been categorised as an upper middle income country, it is burdened by a scarcity of resources, both human and technological. There are barriers to patients' access to specialized care and healthcare providers' access to medical knowledge. Over the past three years, the Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership (BUP) has piloted four mobile telemedicine projects in the specialties of women's health (cervical cancer screening utilizing visual inspection with acetic acid), radiology, oral medicine and dermatology. Mobile telemedicine has been used in 11 locations in Botswana, training a total of 24 clinicians and successfully contributing to the management of 643 cases. In addition to mobile telemedicine, BUP has initiated an m-learning programme with the University of Botswana School of Medicine. While successfully providing patients and providers with improved access to healthcare resources, the m-health projects have faced numerous technical and social challenges. These include malfunctioning mobile devices, unreliable IT infrastructure, accidental damage to mobile devices, and cultural misalignment between IT and healthcare providers. BUP has worked with its local partners to develop solutions to these problems. To ensure sustainability, m-health programmes must have strategic goals that are aligned with those of the national health and education system, and the initiatives must be owned and led by local stakeholders. Whenever possible, open source technology and local IT expertise and infrastructure should be employed.

Peer Provocation in Physical Education: Experiences of Botswana Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shehu, Jimoh

2009-01-01

Critical incidents of peer provocation in physical education were investigated among 675 junior secondary school students in Botswana. Data were generated through a brief, open-ended questionnaire requesting the students to narrate their experiences of bad, hurtful and offensive peer behaviours during physical education classes. Six overlapping…

Rates of Return to Education in Botswana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siphambe, Happy Kufigwa

2000-01-01

Using Botswana household income data, shows that education's rates of return rise by education level. The human capital model remains robust. Education is not income-equalizing; women are paid less than men despite being more highly educated. Private educational financing, job creation, and increased gender equity are needed. (Contains 27…

The Development of Professional Counseling in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stockton, Rex; Nitza, Amy; Bhusumane, Dan-Bush

2010-01-01

Among African countries, Botswana stands out for achieving lasting political and economic stability, which has enabled the government to develop a strong system of educational and social services for its people. Development of professional counseling in the country has occurred both through targeted efforts to provide a strong system of guidance…

Governmentality in Environmental Education Policy Discourses: A Qualitative Study of Teachers in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ketlhoilwe, M. J.

2013-01-01

International environmental education policy discourses have influenced policy construction in Botswana and how teachers conduct themselves and teaching in environmental learning. The researcher uses Foucault's notion of governmentality to understand the effects of power/knowledge relations in policy. The analysis is taken further through a…

Crossing the Chasm--Introducing Flexible Learning into the Botswana Technical Education Programme: From Policy to Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Alison Mead

2009-01-01

This paper reports on a longitudinal, ethnomethodological case study of the development towards flexible delivery of the Botswana Technical Education Programme (BTEP), offered by Francistown College of Technical & Vocational Education (FCTVE). Data collection methods included documentary analysis, naturalistic participant observation, and…

Working Towards Educational Transformation through Action Research with Botswana's Music Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chadwick, Sheelagh

2015-01-01

Contrary to government policy, schooling in Botswana remains largely teacher-centred, with music teaching being no exception. However, other possibilities for classroom dynamics arise under the pressure of practical examinations and when some students have better instrumental facility than their teachers. This article describes initial…

Implications of Land Policy and Rural Development in Botswana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milazi, Dominic

1988-01-01

Examines land tenure alteration in relation to rural development programs in Botswana. Development efforts have had a class differentiated effect, aiding the relatively well-off cattle owners, but ignoring the small crop producers. A rural development strategy that benefits all rural groups must contain measures specifically tailored to each. (DHP)

Stress and Stress Management Strategies Among Botswana Women Lecturers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loate, Irene M.; Marais, James L.

1996-01-01

A stress inventory administered to black women faculty at seven Botswana colleges and universities (n=201) found the greatest stressor to be student class boycotts, followed by uncertainties about their institution's future and dual roles. Almost two-thirds experienced fatigue. The most successful stress management technique was positive thinking.…

Attitudinal Obstacles to Curriculum and Assessment Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nkosana, Leonard

2008-01-01

This paper first presents and then discusses the attitudes towards and perceptions of education officers regarding introducing a school-based continuous assessment of speaking in the Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) ESL examinations as provided for in the BGCSE English syllabus in Botswana. Three categories of education…

"Doing Identity" in the Botswana Classroom: Negotiating Gendered Institutional Identities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humphreys, Sara

2013-01-01

Drawing on post-structural and post-colonial conceptions of gender, this paper explores multiple student masculinities and femininities in the classrooms of four junior secondary schools in Botswana. These gendered identities, it is argued, are negotiated within broader institutional constraints that have been socio-historically produced. Such…

A Critique of Botswana's Language Policy from a Translanguaging Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagwasi, Mompoloki Mmangaka

2017-01-01

This paper critiques the language practices and language-in-education policy of Botswana from a translanguaging perspective. By so doing, it revisits our commonly held perceptions about multilingualism, bilingualism and language and its boundary. We commonly perceive languages as autonomous and as having boundaries and we perceive bilingualism or…

Microbiology of Urinary Tract Infections in Gaborone, Botswana

PubMed Central

Renuart, Andrew J.; Goldfarb, David M.; Mokomane, Margaret; Tawanana, Ephraim O.; Narasimhamurthy, Mohan; Steenhoff, Andrew P.; Silverman, Jonathan A.

2013-01-01

Objective The microbiology and epidemiology of UTI pathogens are largely unknown in Botswana, a high prevalence HIV setting. Using laboratory data from the largest referral hospital and a private hospital, we describe the major pathogens causing UTI and their antimicrobial resistance patterns. Methods This retrospective study examined antimicrobial susceptibility data for urine samples collected at Princess Marina Hospital (PMH), Bokamoso Private Hospital (BPH), or one of their affiliated outpatient clinics. A urine sample was included in our dataset if it demonstrated pure growth of a single organism and accompanying antimicrobial susceptibility and subject demographic data were available. Results A total of 744 samples were included. Greater than 10% resistance was observed for amoxicillin, co-trimoxazole, amoxicillin-clavulanate, and ciprofloxacin. Resistance of E. coli isolates to ampicillin and co-trimoxazole was greater than 60% in all settings. HIV status did not significantly impact the microbiology of UTIs, but did impact antimicrobial resistance to co-trimoxazole. Conclusions Data suggests that antimicrobial resistance has already emerged to most oral antibiotics, making empiric management of outpatient UTIs challenging. Ampicillin, co-trimoxazole, and ciprofloxacin should not be used as empiric treatment for UTI in this context. Nitrofurantoin could be used for simple cystitis; aminoglycosides for uncomplicated UTI in inpatients. PMID:23469239

Microbiology of urinary tract infections in Gaborone, Botswana.

PubMed

Renuart, Andrew J; Goldfarb, David M; Mokomane, Margaret; Tawanana, Ephraim O; Narasimhamurthy, Mohan; Steenhoff, Andrew P; Silverman, Jonathan A

2013-01-01

The microbiology and epidemiology of UTI pathogens are largely unknown in Botswana, a high prevalence HIV setting. Using laboratory data from the largest referral hospital and a private hospital, we describe the major pathogens causing UTI and their antimicrobial resistance patterns. This retrospective study examined antimicrobial susceptibility data for urine samples collected at Princess Marina Hospital (PMH), Bokamoso Private Hospital (BPH), or one of their affiliated outpatient clinics. A urine sample was included in our dataset if it demonstrated pure growth of a single organism and accompanying antimicrobial susceptibility and subject demographic data were available. A total of 744 samples were included. Greater than 10% resistance was observed for amoxicillin, co-trimoxazole, amoxicillin-clavulanate, and ciprofloxacin. Resistance of E. coli isolates to ampicillin and co-trimoxazole was greater than 60% in all settings. HIV status did not significantly impact the microbiology of UTIs, but did impact antimicrobial resistance to co-trimoxazole. Data suggests that antimicrobial resistance has already emerged to most oral antibiotics, making empiric management of outpatient UTIs challenging. Ampicillin, co-trimoxazole, and ciprofloxacin should not be used as empiric treatment for UTI in this context. Nitrofurantoin could be used for simple cystitis; aminoglycosides for uncomplicated UTI in inpatients.

Botswana's Beef Global Commodity Chain: Explaining the Resistance to Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ransom, Elizabeth

2011-01-01

In an era of increasing global agricultural trade, many firms and farms seek to upgrade their agricultural commodity chains to become better integrated into global markets. Utilizing a global commodity chain (GCC) approach, this analysis unravels the challenges to and the potential consequences of upgrading Botswana's beef commodity chain.…

Lifelong Learning for Social Inclusion of Ethnic Minorities in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maruatona, Tonic

2015-01-01

In spite of its overall economic success, most citizens living in the remote areas of Botswana face poverty and are unemployed. The article argues that minority communities in remote areas are excluded because education programs use unfamiliar languages and de-contextualized curricula, there is no national qualifications framework to sufficiently…

Art Education and the Visual Arts in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brennan, Geraldine

2006-01-01

The history of art and design education in Botswana has evolved in a unique way and reflects its British colonial history and post-independence development. It has involved constant exchange and dialogue with other countries through the employment of teachers, teacher trainers and university lecturers from a variety of European, Asian and other…

Marketing Sports Facilities: Perspectives from Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohutsana, Basuti; Akpata, Dele

2013-01-01

The provision of sports facilities contributes immensely to the growth of sports and leisure activities in the countries where they are provided. In some countries, as was the case in Botswana, the government had to spend millions of dollars to provide new Integrated Sports Facilities (ISF's) as a panacea for the continued poor performance of its…

Analysis of Participants' Perceptions of REFLECT Approach in Their Lives and Work: The Case of Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maruatona, Tonic

2008-01-01

This manuscript documents the perceptions of teachers and learners towards the Regenerated Freirean Literacy Empowerment and Community Techniques (REFLECT) approach in the delivery of literacy in Ngamiland District, Botswana. It suggests that REFLECT changed the perceptions, lives, and work experiences of learners and teachers. REFLECT caused…

Language Identity and Multicultural Diversity in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boikhutso, Keene; Jotia, Agreement Lathi

2013-01-01

This study explored the common wisdom that sees Botswana as inherently ethnically homogenous. It used the existing Afrobarometer survey data drawn from Round 1 (1999), Round 2 (2003), Round 3 (2005) and Round 4 (2008). The findings of this study revealed that when using language spoken mostly at home, common wisdom is confirmed. However, it is…

Transformational Learning in Botswana: How Culture Shapes the Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merriam, Sharan B.; Ntseane, Gabo

2008-01-01

Transformational learning as presented by Jack Mezirow has been critiqued for its Western, rational, and cognitive orientation. This qualitative study was conducted in the African nation of Botswana and examines how that culture shaped the process. In-depth interviews were held with 12 adults who acknowledged having an experience that had…

Perceptions of the Water Cycle among Primary School Children in Botswana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taiwo, A. A.; Motswiri, M. J.; Masene, R.

1999-01-01

Describes qualitative and quantitative methods used to elucidate the nature of the perception of the water cycle held by Botswana primary-grade pupils in three different geographic areas. Concludes that the students' perception of the water cycle was positively influenced by schooling but negatively impacted upon, to some extent, by the untutored…

E-Learning Platform for Education Innovation: A Case for Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marumo, Rapelang; Sehurutshi, Richard; Wangombe, Kabanya

2009-01-01

This article intends to investigate the challenges of e-learning implementation with an emphasis on education innovation. The Botswana government imports technology rather than developing it in-house through or in association with a well-developed national research and development (R&D) centre. In simple terms, e-learning is the delivery of…

Social Work Counselling for the Children of Botswana: Contemporary Issues and Corresponding Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ntshwarang, Poloko N.; Malinga-Musamba, Tumani

2016-01-01

Economic development and globalisation have had both positive and negative consequences for many people in Botswana. The changing economic situation has affected their social, economic, spiritual, health, and psychological status. The population most at risk is children. Children face several challenges such as malnutrition, sexual and other forms…

Children Home Alone Unsupervised: Modeling Parental Decisions and Associated Factors in Botswana, Mexico, and Vietnam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruiz-Casares, Monica; Heymann, Jody

2009-01-01

Objective: This paper examines different child care arrangements utilized by working families in countries undergoing major socio-economic transitions, with a focus on modeling parental decisions to leave children home alone. Method: The study interviewed 537 working caregivers attending government health clinics in Botswana, Mexico, and Vietnam.…

A Critique of Centralized Curricula in Literacy Programs: The Case of Botswana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maruatona, Tonic L.

2002-01-01

Argues that the Botswana National Literacy Program curriculum does not support linguistic, cultural, or socioeconomic diversity. Suggests that the program should be decentralized to accommodate cultural and ethnic diversity, that language policy should be reformed to permit the use of other languages, and that curriculum developers should network…

Benchmarking the Intended Technology Curricula of Botswana and South Africa: What Can We Learn?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Du Toit, Adri; Gaotlhobogwe, Michael

2017-01-01

Following a transformation of experience-based handicraft education, Technology education was introduced in Botswana and South Africa in 1990 and 1998, respectively, with the intention of developing technologically literate societies, as well as to develop learners' skills for the world of work. Despite these optimistic intentions, limited…

"Mbizi": Empowerment and HIV/AIDS Prevention for Adolescent Girls in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nitza, Amy; Chilisa, Bagele; Makwinja-Morara, Veronica

2010-01-01

This article describes a small group intervention for HIV/AIDS prevention among adolescent girls in Botswana. The psychoeducational group model is designed to empower girls to overcome the gender inequality that puts women at increased risk of HIV infection in the country. Group goals include heightening group members' awareness of the influence…

Teachers as Agents in Botswana's Music Education: Challenges and Possibilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chadwick, Sheelagh

2012-01-01

The research aimed broadly to understand how Botswana's written government curricula for music are interpreted by music teachers as well as teachers' ideals for music teaching, and to what extent they thought it was possible to achieve those ideals. Grundy's writing on curriculum based on Habermas' technical, practical and emancipatory interests…

Mentor Development in Higher Education in Botswana: How Important Is Reflective Practice?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geber, H.; Nyanjom, J. A.

2009-01-01

Mentor development in higher education in Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Botswana is explored in this article. Changes in education policy require mentors to engage in individual as well as organisational change and transformation. Most studies focus on mentee development and the resulting organisational change but there is very little…

Benefits to Host Organizations from Participating in Internship Programs in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mgaya, Klodwig; Mbekomize, Christian

2014-01-01

Across the globe internship programs have gained the attention of many tertiary institutions. Many researchers have found the internship programs to be beneficial to the students, tertiary institutions and host organizations. The Faculty of Business at the University of Botswana runs an internship program which attaches students to various…

The Relationship between Followership Style and Job Performance in Botswana Private Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oyetunji, Christianah O.

2013-01-01

This paper describes the followership style and job performance in Botswana private universities. Attempt was made to determine if there is a significant relationship between followership styles in relation to job performance. A total of 102 randomly selected lecturers from the two private universities completed followership and job performance…

An Investigation on Students Academic Performance for Junior Secondary Schools in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MolokoMphale, Luke; Mhlauli, Mavis B.

2014-01-01

The major purpose of the study was to investigate factors which contribute to the decline in students' academic performance in junior secondary schools in Botswana since 2010. The study was mainly quantitative and used the positivist inquiry paradigm. The study employed critical theory for its theoretical framework. Questionnaires were used to…

The Paradox of Teaching Citizenship Education in Botswana Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mhlauli, Mavis B.

2012-01-01

The major purpose of this study was to explore the social studies teachers' perceptions and understandings of citizenship education in primary schools in Botswana. The study adopted a post colonial lens by using the notions of the pedagogy of imperialism and contrapuntal criticism to interrogate the teachers' perceptions of citizenship education.…

Teacher Labour Markets in South Africa and Botswana: A Comparative Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irving, Margaret

2012-01-01

This article compares key features of the labour markets for teachers across Botswana and South Africa in order to seek possible explanations for the apparently larger teacher shortages in South Africa. It is argued that South African teachers earn relatively lower wages when compared to professionals with comparable qualifications; they have also…

Using TV white space spectrum to practise telemedicine: A promising technology to enhance broadband internet connectivity within healthcare facilities in rural regions of developing countries.

PubMed

Chavez, Afton; Littman-Quinn, Ryan; Ndlovu, Kagiso; Kovarik, Carrie L

2016-06-01

The following correspondence provides an overview of TV White Space (TVWS) technology, regulations, and potential applications to the health care sector. This report also introduces "Project Kgolagano," a Botswana-based initiative representing the first endeavour to utilize TVWS internet connection for practising telemedicine. TV "white space" refers to the previously unused, wasted spectrum within TV radiofrequency channels that can now be leveraged to obtain broadband internet access. TVWS represents a less costly, faster, and farther-reaching internet connection that is a promising option for connecting the previously unconnected populations of remote and underserved areas. The Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership, Microsoft, Botswana Innovation Hub, Vista Life Sciences, and Global Broadband Solutions have partnered together to bring TVWS wireless broadband access to healthcare facilities in poorly connected regions of Botswana (Lobatse, Francistown, Maun, Gaborone) in order to improve healthcare delivery and facilitate telemedicine in dermatology, cervical cancer screening, and family medicine (HIV/AIDS, TB, general adult and pediatric medicine). © The Author(s) 2015.

Implementation of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses strategy: challenges and recommendations in Botswana.

PubMed

Mupara, Lucia U; Lubbe, Johanna C

2016-01-01

Under-five mortality has been a major public health challenge from time immemorial. In response to this challenge, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund developed the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) strategy and presented it to the whole world as a key approach to reduce child morbidity and mortality. Botswana started to implement the IMCI strategy in 1998. Reductions in the under-five mortality rate (U5MR) have been documented, although the reduction is not on par with the expected Millennium Development Goal 4 predictions. A quantitative study was done to identify the problems IMCI implementers face when tending children under 5 years in the Gaborone Health District of Botswana. The study population was made up of all the IMCI-trained and registered nurses, and systematic sampling was used to randomly select study participants. Questionnaires were used to collect data. The study findings indicated challenges related to low training coverage, health systems, and the unique features of the IMCI strategy. The comprehensive implementation of the IMCI strategy has the potential to significantly influence the U5MR in Botswana.

Utilization characteristics and importance of woody biomass resources on the rural-urban fringe in botswana.

PubMed

Nkambwe, Musisi; Sekhwela, Mogodisheng B M

2006-02-01

This article examines the utilization characteristics and importance of woody biomass resources in the rural-urban fringe zones of Botswana. In the literature for Africa, attention has been given to the availability and utilization of biomass in either urban or rural environments, but the rural-urban fringe has been neglected. Within southern Africa, this neglect is not justified; the rural-urban fringe, not getting the full benefits available in urban environments in Botswana, has developed problems in woody biomass availability and utilization that require close attention. In this article, socioeconomic data on the importance of woody biomass in the Batlokwa Tribal Territory, on the rural-urban fringe of Gaborone, Botswana, were collected together with ecologic data that reveal the utilization characteristics and potential for regrowth of woody biomass. The analysis of these results show that local woody biomass is very important in the daily lives of communities in the rural-urban fringe zones and that there is a high level of harvesting. However, there is no effort in planning land use in the tribal territory to either conserve this resource or provide alternatives to its utilization. The future of woody biomass resources in Botswana's rural-urban fringe is uncertain. The investigators recommend that a comprehensive policy for the development of the rural-urban fringe consider the importance of this resource. The neglect of this resource will have far-reaching implications on the livelihoods of residents as well as the environment in this zone.

Prospecting history leading to the discovery of Botswana's diamond mines: from artefacts to Lesedi La Rona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Wit, Michiel C. J.

2018-02-01

Bechuanaland/Botswana has a long and colourful history in exploration and mining. Here these activities are subdivided into three phases: pre-historic, historic and modern. Quarrying stone in Botswana was ongoing 500,000 years ago during the Early Stone Age (ESA). Actual mining of stones probably only started during the Middle Stone Age (MSA) i.e. post 250,000 BP, and the first prehistoric hard rock mining of specularite and limonite, likely started during the Late Stone Age (LSA) 20,000 to 2,000 BP. In east Botswana iron and copper were mined from AD 800 onwards; the mining of gold started in the thirteenth century. Historic mining started with the re-discovery of gold close to Francistown in 1865 and lasted until the 1950s. Rumours of diamonds in Bechuanaland had already surfaced in the 1880s, and it was Ngamiland, in the northwest, that was first explored systematically for diamonds and gold between 1896 and 1899. A joint initiative between Anglo American and De Beers started serious prospecting parts of eastern Bechuanaland between 1932 and 1938; and in 1938 the first diamond finds in Bechuanaland were reported. Modern mining and exploration started with the signing of an agreement in 1959, allowing Consolidated African Selection Trust Ltd (CAST) into the Bamangwato Tribal Reserve. CAST found a few diamonds in the Motloutse River, but concluded that these were reworked and dropped the exploration rights. De Beers believed that these diamonds had come from west of the Motloutse headwaters, across the watershed in the Kalahari. This ultimately led to the discovery of the Orapa kimberlite field in 1967, a year after Botswana became independent. This discovery triggered a major exploration boom across Botswana adding important diamond-bearing kimberlites such as at Letlhakane (1968), Jwaneng (1973), Gope (1981) and Lerala (1991).

The Role of Adult Education in Assisting Sustainable Development in Remote Area Dwellers of Botswana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mutanyatta, Johannes N. S.

This paper describes the characteristics of Botswana's remote area dwellers (RADs) and the government's related rural development policies. RADS live a nomadic lifestyle, live outside the traditional village structure far from basic services, rely heavily on hunting and gathering, have low levels of literacy and little access to education, and…

Botswana School Child Parents: Their Personal and Community Relationships Contexts for Counselling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ntinda, Kayi; Mpofu, Elias; Bender, Benza; Moagi, Sophie

2015-01-01

The study determined personal-socio-contextual influences that predicted the perceived quality of relationships with Batswana early teenage mothers. The participants were 86 Botswana high school students (mean age 18.97, SD = 1.76) with motherhood. They completed a numerical measure of adjustment to teenage motherhood in the context of family,…

Socio-Emotional Selectivity: A Preliminary Analysis of Perspectives of Adult Learners in the University of Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pansiri, Nkobi Owen; Mhozya, Cynthia M.; Bulawa, Philip; Moletsane, Nelson T.

2012-01-01

Grounded in the theoretical framework of socio-emotional selectivity theory (SST), this study investigated how the socio-emotional, academic and economic experiences of adult learners in the Primary Education in the University of Botswana affected their academic engagement. This was motivated by the trend of gradual enrolment decline observed by…

Library Automation in Sub Saharan Africa: Case Study of the University of Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mutula, Stephen Mudogo

2012-01-01

Purpose: This article aims to present experiences and the lessons learned from the University of Botswana (UB) library automation project. The implications of the project for similar libraries planning automation in sub Saharan Africa and beyond are adduced. Design/methodology/approach: The article is a case study of library automation at the…

The Role of Language in Adult Education and Poverty Reduction in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagwasi, Mompoloki

2006-01-01

This study examines the role of language in reducing poverty in Botswana through adult-education programs. Because language is the medium through which human beings communicate and grow intellectually and socially, it should form the basis of any discussion involving the relation between development and education. In order best to respond to…

Claims and Counterclaims: Institutional Arrangements and Farmers' Response to the Delivery and Adoption of Innovations in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noga, Sekondeko Ronnie; Kolawole, Oluwatoyin Dare; Thakadu, Olekae Tsompi; Masunga, Gaseitsiwe Smollie

2017-01-01

Purpose: This article examined how institutional factors influencing the promotion of two elephant crop-raiding deterrent innovations (ECDIs) introduced to farmers through a ministry-based extension system in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, have impacted farmers' adoption behaviour. Methodology: A standardised interview schedule was used to elicit…

Situation Reports--Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Finland, German Federal Republic, Italy, Luxembourg, Mauritania, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Tanzania, Yugoslavia, and Zambia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Planned Parenthood Federation, London (England).

Data pertaining to population and family planning in seventeen foreign countries are presented in these situation reports. Countries included are Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Finland, German Federal Republic, Italy, Luxembourg, Mauritania, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Tanzania, Yugoslavia, and Zambia. Information is…

Continuity and Change in the Development of Moral Education in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matemba, Yonah H.

2010-01-01

This article traces the development of moral education (ME) in Botswana from pre-colonial times to the present day. It shows how during this time ME has undergone three distinct phases of development, each emphasising a particular ideology. In pre-colonial times ME was offered as part of indigenous education in the home and community, both…

Learning with a Website for the Textile Industry in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mbambo, Buhle; Cronje, Johannes C.

2007-01-01

This paper reports on a locally initiated investigation into the suitability of the Internet in helping to meet the information needs of women in small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in the textile industry in Botswana. The background is the stated government policy to encourage the development of SMMEs and the Internet infrastructure. The…

Environmental Security in Botswana

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

concerns are vital to state survival. Upstream diversions of river water, poaching of wildlife or uncontrolled immigration can destroy ecosystems that would...gratefully accepted. Executing its first mission in October, 1987 the BDF immediately made positive impacts and dramatically reduced poaching ...experience large scale, organized cross-border poaching which overwhelmed the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks. By 1987 the situation

Dialogue--Missing in Action Competence: A Cultural Historical Activity Theory Approach in a Botswana School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silo, Nthalivi

2013-01-01

An in-depth case study on children's participation in environmental management activities in a primary school in Botswana was undertaken, drawing on cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) and the action competence model. This research revealed that due to a lack of dialogue between teachers and children, teachers tended to view children's…

Undergraduate Research Supervision in Social Studies and Religious Education: The Case of Primary Colleges of Education in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boikhutso, Keene; Dinama, Baamphatlha; Kebabope, Santudu

2013-01-01

This paper explored the myriad problems associated with undergraduate research supervision in social studies and religious education using one of the primary Colleges of Education near Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana as a case study. The study applied qualitative research involving interviews and focus group interviews to solicit…

Sign Language as Medium of Instruction in Botswana Primary Schools: Voices from the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mpuang, Kerileng D.; Mukhopadhyay, Sourav; Malatsi, Nelly

2015-01-01

This descriptive phenomenological study investigates teachers' experiences of using sign language for learners who are deaf in the primary schools in Botswana. Eight in-service teachers who have had more than ten years of teaching deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) learners were purposively selected for this study. Data were collected using multiple…

Relative Levels of eLearning Readiness, Applications and Trainee Requirements in Botswana's Private Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nleya, Paul T.

2009-01-01

The rapid growth and modernization of economies in developing countries like Botswana creates new and unmet demands for certain kinds of educated and skilled labour. The expansion of secondary and tertiary school systems has also created a problem of unemployed school leavers. The growth of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs),…

Developmentally Appropriate Technology in Early Childhood (DATEC) in Botswana: In-Service Teachers' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bose, Kabita

2009-01-01

Developmentally Appropriate Technology in Early Childhood (DATEC) aims to identify the most appropriate applications of Information and Communication Technology to support the development of children under eight years of age. Botswana has a unique spread of population density and deep-rooted socio-cultural values. There is a need to address the…

Teachers' Beliefs and Technology: Calculator Use in Mathematics Instruction in Junior Secondary Schools in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salani, End

2013-01-01

Lesson starts are transitional events which may cause management problems for teachers. This study sought junior secondary school mathematics teachers' beliefs about calculator use in mathematics instruction in Botswana and was descriptive in nature adopting a survey design. The sample of seventeen (17) mathematics teachers from four (4) junior…

The Impact of Culture, Self-Determination, and Allies on Women's Educational Opportunities in Botswana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin, Nancy; Mazile, Bontshetse

Higher education opportunities for women in Botswana were studied through a feminist theoretical framework and a participant conversation methodology. Nine female students, participants in a postgraduate diploma program for secondary teacher certification or a masters program in education, ranged in age from 23 to 49. All but one were first…

Albinism in Botswana Junior Secondary Schools: A Double Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dart, Gareth; Nkanotsang, Tiroyaone; Chizwe, Ose; Kowa, Lily

2010-01-01

Pupils with albinism potentially face a number of challenges in accessing quality education in schools in Botswana. Physical issues such as poor eyesight related to the condition and the problems of sensitive skin in such a dry and warm climate are both contributing factors to making learning problematic for some pupils. This study by Gareth Dart…

Global Influences and Local Responses: The Restructuring of the University of Botswana, 1990-2000

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tabulawa, Richard

2007-01-01

The University of Botswana has not escaped the reform fever currently gripping higher education institutions the world-over. In the late 1980s the University initiated an administrative/management restructuring exercise whose resultant structure was implemented between 1998 and 2000. The exercise, in many respects, was a response to globalization.…

Causes of Gender Differences in Accounting Performance: Students' Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wally-Dima, Lillian; Mbekomize, Christian J.

2013-01-01

This study employs the survey method to investigate the factors that cause academic differences between female and male students at the largest university in Botswana. The population of this research was the students of the last three years of the 4 year Bachelor of Accountancy degree programme at the University of Botswana. Anchored on the prior…

Factors That Influence the Diffusion Process of Mobile Devices in Higher Education in Botswana and Namibia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asino, Tutaleni I.

2015-01-01

This comparative study uses the Diffusion of Innovation (DoI) theoretical framework to explore factors that influence diffusion of mobile devices in higher education in Botswana and Namibia. The five attributes (Relative Avantage, Compatability, Complexity, Trialability, and Observability) of the persuasion stage, which have been found in previous…

Teaching of Cultural Concepts in Botswana Junior Secondary Schools Design and Technology Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moalosi, Richie

2011-01-01

This research explored the extent to which cultural concepts stipulated in Botswana Design and Technology curriculum are taught by teachers at junior secondary schools, a topic on which there is little previous research. The pinnacle of good product innovation is when it is grounded on sensitive cultural analysis of the society's culture. However,…

Instructional Leadership for Quality Learning: An Assessment of the Impact of the Primary School Management Development Project in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pansiri, Nkobi Owen

2008-01-01

A descriptive study using questionnaires was conducted in 2004 to assess the effectiveness of instructional leadership displayed by primary school management teams following the implementation of the Primary School Management Project in Botswana. Leadership skills, Coordination of instructional activities, management of curriculum and quality of…

Contextualised Inclusive Education: A Retrospective Look at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mosalagae, Macdelyn Khufsafalo; Lukusa, Jean-Pierre Kabeya

2016-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to intrinsically explore how inclusive education (UNESCO, 1994) can be contextualized and applied within the cultural perspective of "Botho." The impending issue restraining reform of inclusion policies in Botswana and other Sub-Saharan countries is failure to tailor these policies to local context (ILO,…

Teaching Effectiveness in Private Higher Education Institutions in Botswana: Analysis of Students' Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baliyan, Som Pal; Moorad, Fazlur Rehman

2018-01-01

This quantitative study analyzed the perceptions of students on teaching effectiveness in private higher education institutions in Botswana. An exploratory and descriptive survey research design was adopted in this study. A valid and reliable questionnaire was used to collect data through a survey of 560 stratified randomly sampled students in…

Priority Desires of Pre-Service Mathematics Student-Teachers in Methods Courses at the University of Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kesianye, Sesutho; Garegae, Kgomotso; Chakalisa, Paul; Mogotsi, Salome

2014-01-01

This study, a survey of University of Botswana mathematics pre-service student-teachers taking introductory methods courses, was conducted to find aspects of the courses they perceived to be their priority learning desires. It aimed at evaluating whether student-teachers perceived ideas could be tapped into towards improvement of the teacher…

Relative Effects of Visualized and Verbal Presentation Methods in Communicating Environmental Information among Stakeholders: Okavango Delta, Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thakadu, Olekae T.; Irani, Tracy; Telg, Ricky

2011-01-01

The present study examined the relative effectiveness of 2 public instructional communication methods in improving selected predictors of knowledge-sharing behaviors among communities in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. A total of 120 subjects took part in a quasiexperimental study, with 2 experimental treatments: (a) visualized PowerPoint…

Learners' and Teachers' Conceptual Knowledge of Science Processes: The Case of Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emereole, Hezekiah Ukegbu

2009-01-01

The conceptual knowledge of science processes possessed by University of Botswana science students and senior secondary school science teachers was sought through a three-part questionnaire. One part requested demographic data of subjects, the second part asked them to select their level of familiarity with the processes, and the third part probed…

Challenges of Introducing E-Learning at Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Lecturers' Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moakofhi, Moakofhi; Leteane, Oratile; Phiri, Tawona; Pholele, Thato; Sebalatlheng, Perncy

2017-01-01

The integration of technology in the education process has immensely improved the acquisition and retention of knowledge. Although e-learning initiatives bring many advantages to the education system, these rewards have not been fully realised in developing countries like Botswana. Therefore, in the current study, authors set out to identify…

How Well Does Botswana's Social Studies Curriculum Articulate Gender Issues? A Preliminary Overview

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boikhutso, Keene

2013-01-01

In this paper I discuss the extent to Botswana's social studies curriculum is gendered thus more likely to reproduce gender inequalities. The paper locates gender issues within the broader context of male-dominated patriarchal society. It applies content analysis to establish whether or not the Social Studies syllabuses articulate gender issues. I…

Advancing Grassroots Climate Change Awareness in Botswana: BCA Campus Greenhouse Gas Baseline Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Batisani, Nnyaladzi; Ndiane, Abijah

2014-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to report on the results of a case study in Botswana, aimed at raising awareness on climate issues. Higher-education institutions play a leading role in sustainability efforts, as their research role often lays the groundwork for social transformation. Design/methodology/approach: The Clean Air-Cool Planet (CACP) campus…

Aggressive and Antisocial Behaviours among Secondary School Students in Botswana. The Influence of Family and School Based Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malete, Leapetswe

2007-01-01

This study examined the relationship between family factors and secondary school students' aggressive and antisocial behaviours. Participants were 1,478 junior and senior secondary school students from four major urban centres in Botswana, aged 12-20. Results showed significant prevalence of self-reported aggressive tendencies and antisocial…

A cross-sectional study of HPV vaccine acceptability in Gaborone, Botswana.

PubMed

DiAngi, Yumi Taylor; Panozzo, Catherine A; Ramogola-Masire, Doreen; Steenhoff, Andrew P; Brewer, Noel T

2011-01-01

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in Botswana and elsewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa. We sought to examine whether HPV vaccine is acceptable among parents in Botswana, which recently licensed the vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in 2009, around the time the vaccine was first licensed, with adults recruited in general medicine and HIV clinics in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. Although only 9% (32/376) of respondents had heard of HPV vaccine prior to the survey, 88% (329/376) said they definitely will have their adolescent daughters receive HPV vaccine. Most respondents would get the vaccine for their daughters at a public or community clinic (42%) or a gynecology or obstetrician's office (39%), and 74% would get it for a daughter if it were available at her school. Respondents were more likely to say that they definitely will get HPV vaccine for their daughters if they had less education (OR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.07-0.58) or lived more than 30 kilometers from the capital, Gaborone (OR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.06-4.93). Other correlates of acceptability were expecting to be involved in the decision to get HPV vaccine, thinking the vaccine would be hard to obtain, and perceiving greater severity of HPV-related diseases. HPV vaccination of adolescent girls would be highly acceptable if the vaccine became widely available to the daughters of healthcare seeking parents in Gaborone, Botswana. Potential HPV vaccination campaigns should provide more information about HPV and the vaccine as well as work to minimize barriers.

The Use of Digital Library Skills in the Emergent Information Market in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ojedokun, Ayoku A.; Moahi, Kgomotso H.

2007-01-01

This study probed the use of digital library skills by MLIS graduates, and their perception of employment preparation for the emergent information market in Botswana. The study used a survey approach. The study was carried out in 2004. A total of 32 MLIS graduates (1996-2003) of the Department of Library and Information Studies in employment were…

Strategies Information and Communication Technology Managers Use to Build Employee Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabogadi, Thulaganyo Arnold

2017-01-01

The World Economic Forum (WEF) found that Botswana's information and communication technology (ICT) networked readiness index (NRI) had declined from position 89 in 2012 to 104 in 2015. A decline in Botswana's ICT NRI resulted in a modest gross domestic product (GDP) growth increasing from 4.2% in 2012 to 5.0% in 2015. The purpose of this…

Insights into Attempts at Using Action Research in a Collaborative Work in a Policy Review Exercise in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koosimile, Anthony Tsatsing

2011-01-01

In this paper I embrace the thinking that writing on one's experiences in the use of qualitative educational research strategies and principles could potentially contribute to furthering knowledge in the field. In adopting an action research framework to guide collaborative work in a policy review exercise in Botswana, I found that collaborative…

Botswana and Swaziland: report links violations of women's rights to HIV.

PubMed

Krauss, Kate

2007-12-01

In May 2007, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) released a report investigating the links between discriminatory views against women in Botswana and Swaziland and sexual risk-taking and, in turn, extremely high HIV prevalence in those countries. The report also examines the role of women's lack of political and economic power in those countries, and the connection to HIV infection.

Constraints to Senior Management's Capacity to Implement the Performance Management System in Senior Secondary Schools in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulawa, Philip

2013-01-01

The performance management system in different forms has been in existence in many countries for some years. In 1999 Botswana like other countries decided to implement a performance management system (PMS) across the entire public service including schools. At its introduction, the government explained the purpose for which this reform was being…

General Education Courses at the University of Botswana: Application of the Theory of Reasoned Action in Measuring Course Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garg, Deepti; Garg, Ajay K.

2007-01-01

This study applied the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Technology Acceptance Model to measure outcomes of general education courses (GECs) under the University of Botswana Computer and Information Skills (CIS) program. An exploratory model was validated for responses from 298 students. The results suggest that resources currently committed to…

Seen But Not Heard? Focusing on the Needs of Children of Divorced Parents in Gaborone and Surrounding Areas, Botswana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maundeni, Tapologo

2002-01-01

Examined extent to which children's expressed needs for information were met by their mothers in study of parental separation and divorce in Botswana. Found that most children were dissatisfied with informational support received from their mothers. Mothers' ability to meet children's communication needs were influenced by their perceptions of…

Integrating eLearning to Support Medical Education at the New University of Botswana School of Medicine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kebaetse, Masego B.; Nkomazana, Oathokwa; Haverkamp, Cecil

2014-01-01

Since the enrolment of its first cohort of students in 2009, the University of Botswana School of Medicine (UB SoM) has employed elearning as a key element to support and strengthen its model of decentralised medical education. Significant investments have been made in setting up the physical infrastructure, and in acquiring relevant expertise to…

Popular Theatre and Non-Formal Education in Botswana: A Critique of Pseudo-Participatory Popular Education. Working Paper No. 5 (Revised).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidd, Ross; Byram, Martin

Designed to show that highly participatory, engaging, entertaining, and locally understandable communication forms can be used not only to liberate but also to domesticate, this paper presents case studies of several nonformal education projects in Botswana that attempted to follow the approach of Paulo Freire by using popular theatre to encourage…

Exploring Responses to Transformative Group Therapy for Orphaned Children in the Context of Mass Orphaning in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thamuku, Masego; Daniel, Marguerite

2013-01-01

In the context of AIDS, the Botswana Government has adopted a group therapy program to help large numbers of orphaned children cope with bereavement. This study explores the effectiveness of the therapy and examines how it interacts with cultural attitudes and practices concerning death. Ten orphaned children were involved in five rounds of data…

San Junior Secondary Students' Home-School Literacy Disconnection: A Case Study of a Remote Area Dweller School in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ketsitlile, Lone Elizabeth

2011-01-01

The study investigated how San students of Botswana, in a junior community secondary school, understood literacy in school and at home. A qualitative, narrative case study approach was used to gain a deeper understanding of what students value and understand by literacy from co-participants' and informants' perspectives. Findings across…

Effective Utilization of ICT in English Language Learning--The Case of University of Botswana Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Umunnakwe, Ngozi; Sello, Queen

2016-01-01

The study investigates the effective utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by first year undergraduates of the University of Botswana (UB) in their reading and writing skills. The first year students are not first language (L1) learners of English. They have not utilized computers for learning reading and writing in their…

Communication Strategies in Primary Schools in Botswana: Interventions Using Cooks, Teacher Aides and Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mokibelo, Eureka B.

2016-01-01

This paper examines the micro planning activities that schools engage in to address learners' needs to make education work in rural primary schools of Botswana. The national language plan prescribes the use of English and Setswana only as languages of instruction at the primary school level. However, this plan is not practical in some regions…

Selection for Higher Education in Developing Countries--the Use of Tests in Admission for Pre-Entry Science Upgrading Courses in Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altink, Wieby M. M.

The degree of predictive validity and the relationship with previous learning conditions were studied for measures used in admission procedures for upgrading courses in science and mathematics in Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland. School results, achievement tests, aptitude tests, and ability tests were evaluated for students leaving secondary…

Why We Drop out of School: Voices of San School Dropouts in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mokibelo, Eureka B.

2014-01-01

Among San communities in Botswana, the rate of student disengagement from both primary and junior secondary school is an ongoing concern for educators. San learners leave school at all levels of primary and junior secondary education. Students who leave school have tended not to provide reasons as to why they are dropping out. This study…

The Relationship between Language Learning Strategies, Proficiency, Age and Self-Efficacy Beliefs: A Study of Language Learners in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magogwe, Joel Mokuedi; Oliver, Rhonda

2007-01-01

This research seeks to extend our current knowledge by exploring the relationship between preferred language strategies, age, proficiency, and self-efficacy beliefs. Responding to the call for more replication of strategy research and for research in different cultural contexts, this research was undertaken in Botswana between 2002 and 2005. The…

Training Needs Assessment in the Botswana Public Service: A Case Study of Five State Sector Ministries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balisi, Shadreck

2014-01-01

Using qualitative methods, this study analysed the process of training needs assessment in the Botswana public service, with special focus on five state sector ministries. It is evident from the research findings that there is little and an unsystematic approach to the needs assessment prior to training. The research further revealed that the…

A Comparative Study of Entrepreneurship Curriculum Development and Review at the University of Zimbabwe and Botho University, Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munyanyiwa, Takaruza; Svotwa, Douglas; Rudhumbu, Norman; Mutsau, Morgen

2016-01-01

The purpose of this research was to make comparative study of the development and review process of the entrepreneurship curriculum at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) Faculty of Commerce and Botho University, (BU) Faculty of Business and Accounting in Gaborone, Botswana. The study focused on the processes and influences of curriculum development…

The Consequences of Parental Separation and Divorce for the Economic, Social and Emotional Circumstances of Children in Botswana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maundeni, Tapologo

2000-01-01

Analyzes children's and mothers' accounts of the economic consequences of divorce for children in Botswana. Notes that most mothers and children reported economic hardship following divorce, although a few reported improvement or no change in economic circumstances. Traces the implications for the social and psychological well-being of children.…

The Reading Behavior of Junior Secondary Students during School Holidays in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arua, Arua E.; Arua, Comfort E.

2011-01-01

Botswana's reading culture has captured the attention of reading experts in the country for more than two decades. The survey reported in this article involved 121 junior students (aged 12 to 15 years) from two private and two government-aided secondary schools. The results indicate that a majority of the students read during school holidays; that…

A Self-Assessment of the Propensity to Obtain Future Employment: A Case of Final-Year Engineering Students at the University of Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ssegawa, Joseph K.; Kasule, Daniel

2017-01-01

The article provides a self-assessment by final-year engineering students at the University of Botswana regarding the propensity to get employment. Students rated which employability attributes are important, the level of attainment and the sources that have facilitated the development of the attributes. Results indicated that students identified…

Infusion or Confusion: A Meta-Analysis of Environmental Education in the 21st Century Curriculum of Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Velempini, Kgosietsile

2017-01-01

The purpose of this article is to examine the integration of environmental education (EE) in the secondary school curriculum of Botswana. In order to achieve effective environmental literacy, EE needs to be integrated into all aspects of students' learning experience. The article draws on a variety of qualitative meta-analyses of Botswana…

Training of Evaluators in the Third World: Implementation of the Action Training Model (ATM) in Kenya and Botswana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhola, H. S.

The Action Training Model (ATM) was developed for the delivery of evaluation training to development workers in Kenya and Botswana and implemented under the aegis of the German Foundation for International Development. Training of evaluators is a challenge in any context, but in the Third World environment, evaluation training offers special…

Integrating Information and Communication Technology in English Language Teaching: A Case Study of Selected Junior Secondary Schools in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mafuraga, Mbizo; Moremi, Mbiganyi

2017-01-01

The paper discusses how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) could be integrated in the teaching of English Language in Botswana Junior Secondary Schools. It does so by exploring opportunities and challenges faced by teachers of English Language and the students they teach. Fifty five (55) teachers in eleven (11) Junior Secondary Schools…

Exploration of Experiences and Perceptions of Three Botswana Basic Education Stakeholders on Employment and Unemployment of Graduates of Basic Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tidimane, Christopher

2012-01-01

This study used a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of three groups of stakeholders of the Botswana basic education program related to the employment and unemployment of graduates of basic education. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants from three groups of stakeholders, graduates of basic…

Survey of childhood blindness and visual impairment in Botswana.

PubMed

Nallasamy, Sudha; Anninger, William V; Quinn, Graham E; Kroener, Brian; Zetola, Nicola M; Nkomazana, Oathokwa

2011-10-01

In terms of blind-person years, the worldwide burden of childhood blindness is second only to cataracts. In many developing countries, 30-72% of childhood blindness is avoidable. The authors conducted this study to determine the causes of childhood blindness and visual impairment (VI) in Botswana, a middle-income country with limited access to ophthalmic care. This study was conducted over 4 weeks in eight cities and villages in Botswana. Children were recruited through a radio advertisement and local outreach programmes. Those ≤ 15 years of age with visual acuity <6/18 in either eye were enrolled. The WHO/Prevention of Blindness Eye Examination Record for Children with Blindness and Low Vision was used to record data. The authors enrolled 241 children, 79 with unilateral and 162 with bilateral VI. Of unilateral cases, 89% were avoidable: 23% preventable (83% trauma-related) and 66% treatable (40% refractive error and 31% amblyopia). Of bilateral cases, 63% were avoidable: 5% preventable and 58% treatable (33% refractive error and 31% congenital cataracts). Refractive error, which is easily correctable with glasses, is the most common cause of bilateral VI, with cataracts a close second. A nationwide intervention is currently being planned to reduce the burden of avoidable childhood VI in Botswana.

The experience of traumatic brain injury in Botswana.

PubMed

Mbakile-Mahlanza, Lingani; Manderson, Lenore; Ponsford, Jennie

2015-01-01

Whilst the consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI) are understood in Western countries, it is not known how cultural background and beliefs affect response and outcome following TBI in low and middle income countries. This study aimed to explore the experiences of TBI in Botswana. Participants included 21 individuals with moderate to severe TBI (68% males, mean age 35.2 years), 18 caregivers and 25 healthcare workers. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were transcribed, translated and thematically coded. Thematic analysis indicated several themes: Injury-related changes, attributions and beliefs about the cause of the injury, family reactions, attitudes, and resources. Participants described the common injury-related effects of TBI. Many participants attributed their injury to supernatural causes. Immediate family members of participants with TBI expressed a sense of love and devotion towards the injured person. Communication was characterised by inadequate information given to those injured and their caregivers. Provision of care was impeded by insufficient staff, limited supplies and lack of training of nurses. The current healthcare system would therefore appear to be ill-equipped to meet the needs of TBI survivors in Botswana. This study will improve understanding of cultural responses and approaches to brain injuries in Botswana which may, in turn, inform improved practice.

Evaluation of a TB infection control implementation initiative in out-patient HIV clinics in Zambia and Botswana.

PubMed

Emerson, C; Lipke, V; Kapata, N; Mwananyambe, N; Mwinga, A; Garekwe, M; Lanje, S; Moshe, Y; Pals, S L; Nakashima, A K; Miller, B

2016-07-01

Out-patient human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care and treatment clinics in Zambia and Botswana, countries with a high burden of HIV and TB infection. To develop a tuberculosis infection control (TB IC) training and implementation package and evaluate the implementation of TB IC activities in facilities implementing the package. Prospective program evaluation of a TB IC training and implementation package using a standardized facility risk assessment tool, qualitative interviews with facility health care workers and measures of pre- and post-test performance. A composite measure of facility performance in TB IC improved from 32% at baseline to 50% at 1 year among eight facilities in Zambia, and from 27% to 80% at 6 months among 10 facilities in Botswana. Although there was marked improvement in indicators of managerial, administrative and environmental controls, key ongoing challenges remained in ensuring access to personal protective equipment and implementing TB screening in health care workers. TB IC activities at out-patient HIV clinics in Zambia and Botswana improved after training using the implementation package. Continued infrastructure support, as well as monitoring and evaluation, are needed to support the scale-up and sustainability of TB IC programs in facilities in low-resource countries.

Implementation of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses strategy: challenges and recommendations in Botswana

PubMed Central

Mupara, Lucia U.; Lubbe, Johanna C.

2016-01-01

Background Under-five mortality has been a major public health challenge from time immemorial. In response to this challenge, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund developed the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) strategy and presented it to the whole world as a key approach to reduce child morbidity and mortality. Botswana started to implement the IMCI strategy in 1998. Reductions in the under-five mortality rate (U5MR) have been documented, although the reduction is not on par with the expected Millennium Development Goal 4 predictions. Design A quantitative study was done to identify the problems IMCI implementers face when tending children under 5 years in the Gaborone Health District of Botswana. The study population was made up of all the IMCI-trained and registered nurses, and systematic sampling was used to randomly select study participants. Questionnaires were used to collect data. Results The study findings indicated challenges related to low training coverage, health systems, and the unique features of the IMCI strategy. Conclusions The comprehensive implementation of the IMCI strategy has the potential to significantly influence the U5MR in Botswana. PMID:26899774

Botswana water and surface energy balance research program. Part 1: Integrated approach and field campaign results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vandegriend, A. A.; Owe, M.; Vugts, H. F.; Ramothwa, G. K.

1992-01-01

The Botswana water and surface energy balance research program was developed to study and evaluate the integrated use of multispectral satellite remote sensing for monitoring the hydrological status of the Earth's surface. Results of the first part of the program (Botswana 1) which ran from 1 Jan. 1988 - 31 Dec. 1990 are summarized. Botswana 1 consisted of two major, mutually related components: a surface energy balance modeling component, built around an extensive field campaign; and a passive microwave research component which consisted of a retrospective study of large scale moisture conditions and Nimbus scanning multichannel microwave radiometer microwave signatures. The integrated approach of both components in general are described and activities performed during the surface energy modeling component including the extensive field campaign are summarized. The results of the passive microwave component are summarized. The key of the field campaign was a multilevel approach, whereby measurements by various similar sensors were made at several altitudes and resolution. Data collection was performed at two adjacent sites of contrasting surface character. The following measurements were made: micrometeorological measurements, surface temperatures, soil temperatures, soil moisture, vegetation (leaf area index and biomass), satellite data, aircraft data, atmospheric soundings, stomatal resistance, and surface emissivity.

Healthcare waste management: current practices in selected healthcare facilities, Botswana.

PubMed

Mbongwe, Bontle; Mmereki, Baagi T; Magashula, Andrew

2008-01-01

Healthcare waste management continues to present an array of challenges for developing countries, and Botswana is no exception. The possible impact of healthcare waste on public health and the environment has received a lot of attention such that Waste Management dedicated a special issue to the management of healthcare waste (Healthcare Wastes Management, 2005. Waste Management 25(6) 567-665). As the demand for more healthcare facilities increases, there is also an increase on waste generation from these facilities. This situation requires an organised system of healthcare waste management to curb public health risks as well as occupational hazards among healthcare workers as a result of poor waste management. This paper reviews current waste management practices at the healthcare facility level and proposes possible options for improvement in Botswana.

Contribution of plants and traditional medicines to the disparities and similarities in acute poisoning incidents in Botswana, South Africa and Uganda.

PubMed

Malangu, N

2014-01-01

Acute poisoning incidents are one of the leading causes of morbidity and hospitalization in several countries. The purpose of this analysis was to compare the patterns of acute poisoning in three countries namely, Botswana, South Africa and Uganda; and examine the similarities and disparities in the patterns of occurrence of acute poisoning based on the sociodemographic factors of the victims, the toxic agents involved, the circumstances surrounding the incidents and their outcomes. This paper is based on the re-analysis of data that were collected from January to June 2005 by some Master of Public Health students using a similar data collection tool. A single dataset made of the original individual datasheets was constituted and analysed. Overall, it was found that the mean age of victims of acute poisoning was 20.9 ± 14.5 years; the youngest victim was a 3 months old boy from South Africa; and the oldest was a 75 years old man from Uganda. In descending order, the most common toxic agents involved in poisoning incidents were household products (46.1%), agrochemicals (18.8%), pharmaceuticals (14.0%), animal and insect bites (13.0%), food poisoning (4.5%), as well as plants and traditional medicines (3.6%). Across the three countries, acute poisoning occurred mainly by accident, but the contextual factors of each country led to a pattern of acute poisoning that showed some similarities with regard to the distribution of deliberate self-poisoning among females, teenagers, and young adult victims. There were disparities related to the differential access to toxic agents, based on the age and gender of the victims. Of the 17 deaths reported, 2 (11.7%) were due to traditional medicines; household products were implicated in fatal outcomes in all three countries, though the extent of their involvement varied from country to country. Although plant and traditional medicines caused fewer cases of acute poisoning incidents, they contributed considerably to fatal outcomes.

Challenges Facing Managers in Managing Conflict in Schools in the South and South Central Regions of Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morake, Nnior Machomi; Monobe, Ratau John; Dingwe, Stephonia

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the challenges facing managers in managing conflict in schools of South and South Central Regions of Botswana. In this study, the schedule of interview was used to collect empirical data. A random sample of 50 school managers and deputy school managers was selected for interviews. Major findings of the…

The Nature, Extent and Causes of Abuse of Children with Disabilities in Schools in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shumba, Almon; Abosi, Okey C.

2011-01-01

Studies show that the exact number of children with disabilities in Botswana is unknown. A study on child abuse sought to determine: the forms of child abuse perpetrated on children with disabilities; the extent of child abuse; and the causes of child abuse of children with disabilities. A questionnaire on child abuse was adapted and used to…

Perceived Influencers of the Decline on Performance of Students in Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education's Agriculture Examination Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sibanda, Clyde; Hulela, Keba; Tselaesele, Nelson

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate factors perceived to contribute to the decline of students' performance in the Botswana's General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) agriculture results. Ninety-one agriculture examiners were randomly sampled out of 100 teachers who were invited to mark the 2012 end of year examination scripts. A…

The Impact of Lack of Resources on Declining Students' Enrolments in Design and Technology in Botswana Junior Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaotlhobogwe, Michael

2012-01-01

Lack of resources has resulted in declining students' enrolment in design and technology in Botswana junior secondary schools by up to 6% per year over 10 years, despite positive encouragement by the government. Based on the PATT (pupils' attitude towards technology) theoretical framework this study indicated how a lack of resources in Botswana…

Comparing Teachers' Non-Teaching Roles in Curriculum Reforms from an Organization Studies Perspective: Cases from Botswana and South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Addy, Nii Antiaye

2012-01-01

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the academic aims of curriculum reforms and the teaching roles related to them are similar, but non-teaching roles are likely to vary across countries. Taking an organization studies perspective, this article compares teachers' roles in reform along the Botswana-South Africa border. Though these teachers share language and…

Understanding Language in Education and Grade 4 Reading Performance Using a "Natural Experiment" of Botswana and South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shepherd, Debra Lynne

2018-01-01

The regional and cultural closeness of Botswana and South Africa, as well as differences in their political histories and language policy stances, offers a unique opportunity to evaluate the role of language in reading outcomes. This study aims to empirically test the effect of exposure to mother tongue and English instruction on the reading…

Comparative Analysis of Microsoft Package (MSP) Competence among Teacher Trainee Students in Botswana and Nigeria: Implications for Curriculum Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogwu, Edna Nwanyiuzor; Ogwu, Francis Chibuzor

2016-01-01

Most school curriculum is thwarted at the implementation level as a result of poor utilization of innovative Microsoft packages (MSP) for learning. The purpose of this study therefore is to determine the extent of utilization of innovative MSP for learning between teacher trainee students (TTSs) from Botswana and Nigeria, as well as their…

Scaling up a Mobile Telemedicine Solution in Botswana: Keys to Sustainability

PubMed Central

Ndlovu, Kagiso; Littman-Quinn, Ryan; Park, Elizabeth; Dikai, Zambo; Kovarik, Carrie L.

2014-01-01

Effective health care delivery is significantly compromised in an environment where resources, both human and technical, are limited. Botswana’s health care system is one of the many in the African continent with few specialized medical doctors, thereby posing a barrier to patients’ access to health care services. In addition, the traditional landline and non-robust Information Technology (IT) network infrastructure characterized by slow bandwidth still dominates the health care system in Botswana. Upgrading of the landline IT infrastructure to meet today’s health care demands is a tedious, long, and expensive process. Despite these challenges, there still lies hope in health care delivery utilizing wireless telecommunication services. Botswana has recently experienced tremendous growth in the mobile telecommunication industry coupled with an increase in the number of individually owned mobile devices. This growth inspired the Botswana-UPenn Partnership (BUP) to collaborate with local partners to explore using mobile devices as tools to improve access to specialized health care delivery. Pilot studies were conducted across four medical specialties, including radiology, oral medicine, dermatology, and cervical cancer screening. Findings from the studies became vital evidence in support of the first scale-up project of a mobile telemedicine solution in Botswana, also known as “Kgonafalo.” Some technical and social challenges were encountered during the initial studies, such as malfunctioning of mobile devices, accidental damage of devices, and cultural misalignment between IT and healthcare providers. These challenges brought about lessons learnt, including a strong need for unwavering senior management support, establishment of solid local public-private partnerships, and efficient project sustainability plans. Sustainability milestones included the development and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Botswana government and a private telecommunications partner, the publication and awarding of the government tender to a local IT company, and the development and signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the Ministry of Health Clinical Services department and the local tender winner. The initial system scale-up is scheduled to occur in 2014 and to ensure the project’s sustainability, the system is aligned with the national eHealth strategy and local ownership of the project remains at the forefront (1). PMID:25566520

The geography of HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Botswana.

PubMed

Kandala, Ngianga-Bakwin; Campbell, Eugene K; Rakgoasi, Serai Dan; Madi-Segwagwe, Banyana C; Fako, Thabo T

2012-01-01

Botswana has the second-highest human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection rate in the world, with one in three adults infected. However, there is significant geographic variation at the district level and HIV prevalence is heterogeneous with the highest prevalence recorded in Selebi-Phikwe and North East. There is a lack of age-and location-adjusted prevalence maps that could be used for targeting HIV educational programs and efficient allocation of resources to higher risk groups. We used a nationally representative household survey to investigate and explain district level inequalities in HIV rates. A Bayesian geoadditive mixed model based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques was applied to map the geographic distribution of HIV prevalence in the 26 districts, accounting simultaneously for individual, household, and area factors using the 2008 Botswana HIV Impact Survey. Overall, HIV prevalence was 17.6%, which was higher among females (20.4%) than males (14.3%). HIV prevalence was higher in cities and towns (20.3%) than in urban villages and rural areas (16.6% and 16.9%, respectively). We also observed an inverse U-shape association between age and prevalence of HIV, which had a different pattern in males and females. HIV prevalence was lowest among those aged 24 years or less and HIV affected over a third of those aged 25-35 years, before reaching a peak among the 36-49-year age group, after which the rate of HIV infection decreased by more than half among those aged 50 years and over. In a multivariate analysis, there was a statistically significant higher likelihood of HIV among females compared with males, and in clerical workers compared with professionals. The district-specific net spatial effects of HIV indicated a significantly higher HIV rate of 66% (posterior odds ratio of 1.66) in the northeast districts (Selebi-Phikwe, Sowa, and Francistown) and a reduced rate of 27% (posterior odds ratio of 0.73) in Kgalagadi North and Kweneng West districts. This study showed a clear geographic distribution of the HIV epidemic, with the highest prevalence in the east-central districts. This study provides age- and location-adjusted prevalence maps that could be used for the targeting of HIV educational programs and efficient allocation of resources to higher risk groups. There is need for further research to determine the social, cultural, economic, behavioral, and other distal factors that might explain the high infection rates in some of the high-risk areas in Botswana.

A day in my life as a peer-educator. Botswana.

PubMed

Ellis, S

1995-01-01

The experiences of a peer educator who joined the YWCA's Peer Approach Counselling by Teenagers (PACT) program in 1993 are related. She learned youth-to-youth counseling skills pertaining to contraceptives, relationships, decision-making, problem solving, leadership, and AIDS education. In 1994 she started working for Population Services International (PSI), a social marketing program for condoms whose main target groups are youth and young women. In Botswana almost 1/5 of 13-15 year-old youth have already had sex. Early sexual activity contributes to the high rate of teenage pregnancy (approximately 10-15% of 13-18 year olds are parents); and the alarming HIV infection rate (15-20% of the sexually active population). Choices and responsibilities are the themes that provide youth with the education to make informed decisions by which they can be better parents. Sometimes work involves other non-governmental associations (NGOs) such as the Botswana Welfare Association, the YWCA, or the Red Cross, but most of the work takes place at events such as fashion shows, radio programs, concerts, and festivals. A demonstration team travels across Botswana to stage serious condom demonstrations, which are followed by games and competitions, and a few questions about AIDS awareness. Youth are much more likely to participate in this informal setting. The existing institutions that teach youth about reproductive health, such as schools or clinics, are not being used efficiently. Research has shown that teenagers actually do think about using condoms but lack the negotiating skills, therefore responsible sexual behavior should be the basis of education in all schools. Unfortunately, many adults find correct condom usage and teenage sexuality sensitive topics. Although PSI and other NGOs have been successful in Botswana, much education is still needed. More support from parents and teachers could contribute to reaching more youth.

Current status of waste management in Botswana: A mini-review.

PubMed

Mmereki, Daniel

2018-05-01

Effective waste management practices are not all about legislative solutions, but a combination of the environmental, social, technical, technically skilled human resources, financial and technological resources, resource recycling, environmental pollution awareness programmes and public participation. As a result of insufficient resources, municipal solid waste (MSW) in transition and developing countries like Botswana remains a challenge, and it is often not yet given highest priority. In Botswana, the environment, public health and other socio-economic aspects are threatened by waste management practices due to inadequate implementation and enforcement mechanisms of waste management policy. This mini-review paper describes the panorama of waste management practices in Botswana and provides information to competent authorities responsible for waste management and to researchers to develop and implement an effective waste management system. Waste management practices in Botswana are affected by: lack of effective implementation of national waste policy, fragmented tasks and overlapping mandates among relevant institutions; lack of clear guidelines on the responsibilities of the generators and public authorities and on the associated economic incentives; and lack of consistent and comprehensive solid waste management policies; lack of intent by decision-makers to prepare national waste management plans and systems, and design and implement an integrated sustainable municipal solid waste management system. Due to these challenges, there are concerns over the growing trend of the illegal dumping of waste, creating mini dumping sites all over the country, and such actions jeopardize the efforts of lobbying investors and tourism business. Recommendations for concerted efforts are made to support decision makers to re-organize a sustainable waste management system, and this paper provides a reference to other emerging economies in the region and the world.

Keep Talking & Monitoring: the importance of longitudinal research & community-based monitoring to support sustainable land management in southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dougill, Andrew; Stringer, Lindsay

2015-04-01

Projects come and go with researchers, development practioners and government staff initiating new forms of community engagement in environmental monitoring and land management practices. We analyse interventions from Botswana and Swaziland and highlight that for benefits to be long-lived and lead to sustainable land management, requires community engagement in project design, implementation and for project outputs to be used in developing community-led environmental monitoring tools that can then help to guide local decision-making systems. We stress the vital importance of continued participatory engagement of researchers with community leaders and key government staff beyond the timeframe of their initial research such that longitudinal research approaches can realise significant benefits to all concerned. In dynamic (non-equilibrium) dryland environments, it is vitally important that research approaches address temporal and spatial variability by mapping patterns of change, using a range of participatory tools to enhance understandings of the causes of land degradation and the opportunities for shifts towards more sustainable land management. Decision-support tools, such as rangeland assessment guides produced for various Kalahari rangeland settings in Botswana (via a UNEP project and affiliated research), provide opportunities to support more sustainable land management. However, at present benefits are not being fully realised as project and research staff move on after projects end. Similarly, findings from mixed farming systems in Swaziland (assessing a JICA-funded project) show problems in maintaining new institutional structures to manage rangeland degradation, whilst issues on arable areas associated with parasitic weeds (Striga asiatica) remain problematic. Findings from longitudinal research in Swaziland also show that community understandings of environmental problems have evolved over 10 years and identify new problems associated with intensified drought events linked to climate change. Returning to communities (even if irregularly) after project completion enables identification of local-level knowledge and institutional problems that are often the underlying cause of the post-project failings. In many cases, such failings have led to a lack of sustained benefits as significant community-level goodwill and knowledge is developed during projects, but limited input and guidance through remaining institutional channels means that any strong grounding for success is not harnessed or sustained. It is vital that researchers work pro-actively with formal state institutions (notably agricultural extension services) to ensure that research and development project outputs are understood and used in the post-project phase. Continued engagement with local and institutional actors through longitudinal research assessing multi-stakeholder partnerships and local management practices can realise significant additional benefits far beyond the small time and cost implications of such continued engagement. Shifts to trans-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder working need to address the need for such longer-term, longitudinal research processes to ensure that benefits are not immediately lost and that new forms of sustainable land management can indeed be sustained.

Concerns raised about Botswana's proposed HIV-disclosure law.

PubMed

Ahmad, K

2000-08-19

On August 10, 2000, Botswana's Minister for Health, Joy Phumaphi, announced that the country is considering legislation making disclosure of one's HIV status to a sex partner mandatory. The legislation would make sexual activity without information a criminal offense. However, Phumaphi's statement has created worldwide concern. Ethicists Anna Mastroianni of the University of Washington and Jeffrey Kahn of the University of Minnesota argue that such a policy, if enacted, would further increase the spread of HIV/AIDS because people would not present for HIV testing. Moreover, Josef Decosas of the Southern Africa AIDS Training Programme, Harare, Zimbabwe adds that such legislation would disempower women and be used to criminalize prostitution and drive the industry further underground. He rather recommends regular access to sexual health care services and intensive support for consistent condom use in containing HIV epidemic in Botswana.

Macroeconomic and household-level impacts of HIV/AIDS in Botswana.

PubMed

Jefferis, Keith; Kinghorn, Anthony; Siphambe, Happy; Thurlow, James

2008-07-01

To measure the impact of HIV/AIDS on economic growth and poverty in Botswana and estimate how providing treatment can mitigate its effects. Demographic and financial projections were combined with economic simulation models, including a macroeconomic growth model and a macro-microeconomic computable general equilibrium and microsimulation model. HIV/AIDS significantly reduces economic growth and increases household poverty. The impact is now severe enough to be affecting the economy as a whole, and threatens to pull some of the uninfected population into poverty. Providing antiretroviral therapy can partly offset this negative effect. Treatment increases health's share of government expenditure only marginally, because it increases economic growth and because withholding treatment raises the cost of other health services. Botswana's treatment programme is appropriate from a macroeconomic perspective. Conducting macroeconomic impact assessments is important in countries where prevalence rates are particularly high.

Collins Center Update. Volume 13, Issue 4, July-September 2011

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

and elephants . The abundant herds can attribute to the large numbers of carnivores, who follow these herds, specifically lions, leopards and...government of Botswana is using the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) to guard the precious resource of the Okavango. With rampant cross-border poaching ...anticipate and reduce unintended, unacceptable and often unnecessary impacts on the river basin’s health and environment.” The commission’s management

Unpacking and Rearranging the Boxes: The Search for a New Institutional Matrix of Democratic Control of the Military in Botswana

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-01

come about without the agitation of political and civil society. In the 1977 debate, leader of the Botswana People’s Party ( BPP ), Mr. Phillip...49 B. A STRATEGIC DEFENSE REVIEW.........................................................50 C. A DEFENSE BUREAUCRACY...spared some time in their busy schedules to accommodate my interviews. 5. My Advisors, Professors Letitia Lawson and Thomas C. Bruneau for mentoring

A Report of the Responses of Botswana Junior Secondary School Teachers on the Three Subscales of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dibapile, Waitshega Tefo Smitta

2012-01-01

The focus of this paper is to present the findings of the study on teacher efficacy and classroom management. To collect data a survey was administered to 1006 Botswana participants. Out of 1006 participants only 6 did not complete the survey. Pearson-product moment correlation was computed to analyze the data using Statistical Package of Social…

Enduring Partner Capacity: African Civil Affairs

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-17

conflicts in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria and Ivory Coast all created political refugees. In 2011, the political and electoral crisis in the Ivory ...34 Ivory Coast Refugees Question Security of Returning Home," http://reliefweb.int/node/447842 (accessed November 14, 20 11). 23 There is an established...no disruptive deviant behavior in Botswana, as it also has a huge poaching problem requiring regular military action to control. In 20 I 0, Botswana

Implementation of the Performance Management System (PMS) in Senior Secondary Schools in Botswana: An Investigation of Senior Management Team's Expected Benefits of the PMS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulawa, Philip

2012-01-01

Different forms of the performance management system have been implemented in many countries for some years. As in other countries, in 1999 the government of Botswana took a decision to implement a performance management system (PMS) across the entire public service including schools. The government explained the purpose for which this reform was…

A Neglected Opportunity: Entrepreneurship Education in the Lower High School Curricula for Technology in South Africa and Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

du Toit, Adri; Gaotlhobogwe, Mike

2018-01-01

Technology is a school subject that forms part of the compulsory curriculum for high school learners in South Africa, and is a core theme in the subject Design and Technology in Botswana high schools. Knowledge and production skills acquired in the subject are applied to solve real-life problems consistent with the steps of the design process. The…

The Challenges of Change: A Tracer Study of San Preschool Children in Botswana. Early Childhood Development: Practice and Reflections. Following Footsteps.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

le Roux, Willemien

This report details findings of a study undertaken during 1993-1995 in the Ghanzi District of Botswana to ascertain the progress of the San children in primary school, comparing children who attended preschool to those who did not. The report also describes the Bokamoso Preschool Programme, started in 1986. Data for the study were collected…

Stress, social relationships and health outcomes in low-income Francistown, Botswana.

PubMed

Modie-Moroka, Tirelo

2014-08-01

Studies assessing the impact of stress on health outcomes are lacking in developing countries such as Botswana, in Southern Africa. This study examines the relationships between individual life stressors (stressful life events and chronic life stressors), social relationships and quality of life (QoL), for low-income urban residents in Francistown, Botswana. Although there are many studies of social support and quality of life, no studies have so far explored the relationship among the three variables. Selected concepts from stress theory are used as a conceptual framework. Using a cross-sectional quantitative design (both descriptive and explanatory), this study examined the associations among life stress (stressful life events and chronic life stressors), social relationships, and four indicators of health and QoL among a sample of 388 low-income urban dwellers in Francistown, Botswana. Using multiple regression models, the results of this study show that the availability of social relationships was associated with better physical and psychological health and level of independence. Controlling for the physical domain of QoL, social relationships buffered the effects of chronic life stressors on QoL and level of independence. Social relationships buffer the effects of stressful life events on quality, not on psychological well-being. Social relationships had no moderating effect on physical health, level of independence and on quality of life.

Survey of childhood blindness and visual impairment in Botswana

PubMed Central

Nallasamy, Sudha; Anninger, William V; Quinn, Graham E; Kroener, Brian; Zetola, Nicola M; Nkomazana, Oathokwa

2014-01-01

Background/aims In terms of blind-person years, the worldwide burden of childhood blindness is second only to cataracts. In many developing countries, 30–72% of childhood blindness is avoidable. The authors conducted this study to determine the causes of childhood blindness and visual impairment (VI) in Botswana, a middle-income country with limited access to ophthalmic care. Methods This study was conducted over 4 weeks in eight cities and villages in Botswana. Children were recruited through a radio advertisement and local outreach programmes. Those ≤15 years of age with visual acuity <6/18 in either eye were enrolled. The WHO/Prevention of Blindness Eye Examination Record for Children with Blindness and Low Vision was used to record data. Results The authors enrolled 241 children, 79 with unilateral and 162 with bilateral VI. Of unilateral cases, 89% were avoidable: 23% preventable (83% trauma-related) and 66% treatable (40% refractive error and 31% amblyopia). Of bilateral cases, 63% were avoidable: 5% preventable and 58% treatable (33% refractive error and 31% congenital cataracts). Conclusion Refractive error, which is easily correctable with glasses, is the most common cause of bilateral VI, with cataracts a close second. A nationwide intervention is currently being planned to reduce the burden of avoidable childhood VI in Botswana. PMID:21242581

Safe male circumcision in Botswana: Tension between traditional practices and biomedical marketing

PubMed Central

Katisi, Masego; Daniel, Marguerite

2015-01-01

Botswana has been running Safe Male Circumcision (SMC) since 2009 and has not yet met its target. Donors like the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Africa Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnership (funded by the Gates Foundation) in collaboration with Botswana's Ministry of Health have invested much to encourage HIV-negative men to circumcise. Demand creation strategies make use of media and celebrities. The objective of this paper is to explore responses to SMC in relation to circumcision as part of traditional initiation practices. More specifically, we present the views of two communities in Botswana on SMC consultation processes, implementation procedures and campaign strategies. The methods used include participant observation, in-depth interviews with key stakeholders (donors, implementers and Ministry officials), community leaders and men in the community. We observe that consultation with traditional leaders was done in a seemingly superficial, non-participatory manner. While SMC implementers reported pressure to deliver numbers to the World Health Organization, traditional leaders promoted circumcision through their routine traditional initiation ceremonies at breaks of two-year intervals. There were conflicting views on public SMC demand creation campaigns in relation to the traditional secrecy of circumcision. In conclusion, initial cooperation of local chiefs and elders turned into resistance. PMID:25866013

Multilevel analysis of women's empowerment and HIV prevention: quantitative survey Results from a preliminary study in Botswana.

PubMed

Greig, Fiona E; Koopman, Cheryl

2003-06-01

This preliminary study explored relationships between women's empowerment and HIV prevention on the national and individual level with a focus on Botswana. Among sub-Saharan Africa countries, HIV prevalence was positively correlated with indirect indicators of women's empowerment relating to their education (female enrollment in secondary education and ratio of female to male secondary school enrollment), but not to their economic status (female share of paid employment in industry and services) or political status (women's share of seats in national parliament), while controlling for gross national income, percentage of births attended, and percentage of roads paved. Condom use at last sexual encounter was positively and significantly correlated with both indicators of women's educational empowerment, but was not significantly related to the other two indices. Empowerment at the individual level was explored through a preliminary quantitative survey of 71 sexually active women in Gaborone, Botswana, that was conducted in February 2001. Regression analyses showed that women's negotiating power and economic independence were the factors most strongly related to condom use, and did not show that education was a crucial factor. Economic independence was the factor most strongly related to negotiating power. These results suggest that in Botswana, HIV prevention efforts may need to improve women's negotiating skills and access to income-generating activities.

A survey analysis of indigenous goat production in communal farming systems of Botswana.

PubMed

Monau, P I; Visser, C; Nsoso, S J; Van Marle-Köster, E

2017-08-01

A total of 153 communal farmers in four agro-ecological regions of Botswana were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The aims of the survey were to characterise existing communal goat production systems, evaluate the importance of goats to farmers and identify breeding practices and constraints encountered in goat production in Botswana. Data was collected on socio-economic parameters, general and breeding management practices and major constraints limiting goat production in Botswana. All respondents were small-scale communal farmers with 63% respondents practising mixed crop-livestock farming and 37% keeping livestock as their primary activity. The majority (33%) of respondents were older than 60 years. Over 80% of the farmers kept goats for cash required for tuition, school uniforms and household commodities as well as re-stocking of animals. Most farmers (62%) kept indigenous crossed genotypes. Generally, uncontrolled mating was practised with the majority of farmers (41%) using on-farm reared bucks for more than two years of breeding and communal bucks (36%) as an alternative. The major constraints limiting goat productivity in communal areas included uncontrolled breeding, predators, theft and diseases. Issues raised by farmers should be considered in designing and implementing effective breeding programs for goats to improve their overall productivity and contribution to poverty alleviation in these communities.

Oncogenic Viral Prevalence in Invasive Vulvar Cancer Specimens from HIV Positive and Negative Women in Botswana

PubMed Central

Tesfalul, Martha; Simbiri, Kenneth; Wheat, Chikoti M.; Motsepe, Didintle; Goldbach, Hayley; Armstrong, Kathleen; Hudson, Kathryn; Kayembe, Mukendi K.; Robertson, Erle; Kovarik, Carrie

2014-01-01

Objective The primary aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of select oncogenic viruses within vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) and their association with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status in women in Botswana, where the national HIV prevalence is the third highest in the world. Methods/materials A cross-sectional study of biopsy-confirmed VSCC specimens and corresponding clinical data was conducted in Gaborone, Botswana. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) viral testing were done for Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) strains, and Kaposi's Sarcoma Herpesvirus (KSHV), and PCR viral testing alone was done for John Cunningham Virus (JCV). Results HPV prevalence by PCR was 100% (39/39 35/35) among tested samples. HPV16 was the most prevalent HPV strain (82.9% by PCR, 94.7% by either PCR or IHC). KSHV prevalence by PCR had a significant association with HIV status (p = 0.013), but not by IHC (p = 0.650). Conclusions The high burden of HPV, specifically HPV16, in VSCC in Botswana suggests a distinct HPV profile that differs from other studied populations, which provides increased motivation for HPV vaccination efforts. Oncogenic viruses KSHV and EBV were also more prevalent in our study population though their potential role in VSCC pathology is unclear. PMID:24651632

Safe male circumcision in Botswana: tension between traditional practices and biomedical marketing.

PubMed

Katisi, Masego; Daniel, Marguerite

2015-01-01

Botswana has been running Safe Male Circumcision (SMC) since 2009 and has not yet met its target. Donors like the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Africa Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnership (funded by the Gates Foundation) in collaboration with Botswana's Ministry of Health have invested much to encourage HIV-negative men to circumcise. Demand creation strategies make use of media and celebrities. The objective of this paper is to explore responses to SMC in relation to circumcision as part of traditional initiation practices. More specifically, we present the views of two communities in Botswana on SMC consultation processes, implementation procedures and campaign strategies. The methods used include participant observation, in-depth interviews with key stakeholders (donors, implementers and Ministry officials), community leaders and men in the community. We observe that consultation with traditional leaders was done in a seemingly superficial, non-participatory manner. While SMC implementers reported pressure to deliver numbers to the World Health Organization, traditional leaders promoted circumcision through their routine traditional initiation ceremonies at breaks of two-year intervals. There were conflicting views on public SMC demand creation campaigns in relation to the traditional secrecy of circumcision. In conclusion, initial cooperation of local chiefs and elders turned into resistance.

Panoramic Okavango Swamp, Botswana and Fires in Angola, Africa

NASA Image and Video Library

1991-08-11

In this panoramic view of the Okavango Swamp, Botswana, (19.0S, 22.0E), the Okavango River, seen in sunglint, flows into a topographic trough to form an inland delta. Water, trapped in the meandering delta distributaries is evaporated or transpired by vegetation. In Angola to the north, the many fires of the seasonal burning of savannah vegetation for land clearing, in preparation for agriculture, has filled the atmosphere with haze and smoke.

Sterility and stigma in an era of HIV/AIDS: narratives of risk assessment among men and women in Botswana.

PubMed

Upton, Rebecca L; Dolan, Edward Myers

2011-03-01

This paper examines the experience and interpretations of infertility and sterility in northern Botswana. Specifically it highlights the role of stigma and impression management among Tswana men and women through their narratives and discourse about childbearing and personhood in an era of HIV/AIDS. The paper demonstrates that in a country with one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates in the world, risky sexual practices are weighed against cultural norms that suggest being a full person and productive adult is to be a reproductive man or woman. Through longitudinal qualitative research the narratives and life histories of several individuals offer ethnographic evidence on the power of stigma. The research finds that even with ubiquitous HIV/AIDS education and prevention programmes throughout Botswana, Tswana engage in various kinds of risk taking behaviours as means through which impressions and identities as full persons of value may be managed successfully.

The Role of Language in Adult Education and Poverty Reduction in Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagwasi, Mompoloki

2006-05-01

This study examines the role of language in reducing poverty in Botswana through adult-education programs. Because language is the medium through which human beings communicate and grow intellectually and socially, it should form the basis of any discussion involving the relation between development and education. In order best to respond to societal changes and bridge the gap between the less privileged and the more privileged, adult-education programs should be guided by language policies that are sensitive to this pivotal role that language plays. Language is important in any discussion of poverty reduction because it determines who has access to educational, political and economic resources. The author recommends that adult-education programs in Botswana take account of the multilingual nature of society and so allow learners to participate freely, make use of their indigenous knowledge, and enhance their self-esteem and identity.

Tinea capitis in Botswana.

PubMed

Thakur, Rameshwari

2013-01-01

Tinea capitis (TC) is a common dermatophyte infection of the scalp that can also involve the eyebrows and eyelashes. This study aimed to find the causative fungus responsible for TC in Botswana and determine its association with the clinical types of TC. Samples for potassium hydroxide 10% mounts and fungal cultures were collected in a microbiology laboratory at the National Health Laboratory, Gaborone, Botswana. Dermasel agar and Sabouraud dextrose agar were inoculated with the samples. Lactophenol cotton blue mounts were prepared from the culture-positive samples to study the morphological characteristics. Trichophyton violaceum was found to be the predominant causative organism of TC. Trichophyton tonsurans was isolated from one patient. Both are anthropophilic species. TC was found to be most common in those aged 1-15 years (81%). Of 17 patients in this age group, 16 were younger than 10 years old and one was 14 years old. T. violaceum was the most common dermatophyte species isolated.

Acceptability of Male Circumcision Among Adolescent Boys and their Parents, Botswana

PubMed Central

Jayeoba, Oluwemimo; Dryden-Peterson, Scott; Okui, Lillian; Smeaton, Laura; Magetse, Jane; Makori, Lillian; Modikwa, Venice; Mogodi, Mpho; Plank, Rebeca; Lockman, Shahin

2014-01-01

Little is known of the acceptability of male circumcision (MC) to adolescent boys, a key target group for HIV prevention. We conducted a cluster design survey among adolescent boys and their parents/guardians in two villages in Botswana. Of 1300 households visited, 398 boys were eligible; 269 boys and 210 parents/guardians participated. MC was described correctly by 80% of boys, and 76% identified that MC reduces the risk of male HIV acquisition. After a brief informational session, 75% of boys stated that they would definitely want to be circumcised and 96% of parents/guardians would want their boy circumcised. Boys most frequently reported pain (49%) and possible health problems (19%) as concerns undergoing MC; concerns about peer or partner acceptance, sexual function, or cultural appropriateness were uncommon. Adolescent MC is likely to be highly acceptable in Botswana if done safely, for free and with adequate pain control in a hospital setting. PMID:21437725

PREVENTING FUTURE SHOCK: A Case for Addressing Future Threats to America’s National Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-04-01

both home and abroad and negotiating a convention to protect endangered sea turtles, whales and other limits to trade that threaten endangered species ...Botswana, and Zimbabwe have been decimated. In a region that would have calculated life expectancies to reach 70 years of age by 2010, many will...conditions is lower that 2.7% of the 1995 Gross Domestic Product for Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe , Botswana, Zambia and Malawi.71 African

Development of Family Medicine training in Botswana: Views of key stakeholders in Ngamiland.

PubMed

Ogundipe, Radiance M; Mash, Robert

2018-08-31

Family Medicine training commenced in Botswana in 2011, and Maun was one of the two sites chosen as a training complex. If it is to be successful there has to be investment in the training programme by all stakeholders in healthcare delivery in the district. The aim of the study was to explore the attitudes of stakeholders to initiation of Family Medicine training and their perspectives on the future roles of family physicians in Ngami district, Botswana. Maun and the surrounding Ngami subdistrict of Botswana. Thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted with purposively selected key stakeholders in the district health services. Data were recorded, transcribed and analysed using the framework method. Participants welcomed the development of Family Medicine training in Maun and expect that this will result in improved quality of primary care. Participants expect the registrars and family physicians to provide holistic health care that is of higher quality and expertise than currently experienced, relevant research into the health needs of the community, and reduced need for referrals. Inadequate personal welfare facilities, erratic ancillary support services and an inadequate complement of mentors and supervisors for the programme were some of the gaps and challenges highlighted by participants. Family Medicine training is welcomed by stakeholders in Ngamiland. With proper planning introduction of the family physician in the district is expected to result in improvement of primary care.

The Effect of Alcohol and Road Traffic Policies on Crash Rates in Botswana, 2004–2011: A Time-Series Analysis

PubMed Central

Sebego, Miriam; Naumann, Rebecca B.; Rudd, Rose A.; Voetsch, Karen; Dellinger, Ann M.; Ndlovu, Christopher

2015-01-01

In Botswana, increased development and motorization have brought increased road traffic-related death rates. Between 1981 and 2001, the road traffic-related death rate in Botswana more than tripled. The country has taken several steps over the last several years to address the growing burden of road traffic crashes and particularly to address the burden of alcohol-related crashes. This study examines the impact of the implementation of alcohol and road safety-related policies on crash rates, including overall crash rates, fatal crash rates, and single-vehicle nighttime fatal (SVNF) crash rates, in Botswana from 2004 to 2011. The overall crash rate declined significantly in June 2009 and June 2010, such that the overall crash rate from June 2010 to December 2011 was 22% lower than the overall crash rate from January 2004 to May 2009. Additionally, there were significant declines in average fatal crash and SVNF crash rates in early 2010. Botswana’s recent crash rate reductions occurred during a time when aggressive policies and other activities (e.g., education, enforcement) were implemented to reduce alcohol consumption and improve road safety. While it is unclear which of the policies or activities contributed to these declines and to what extent, these reductions are likely the result of several, combined efforts. PMID:24686164

Driving towards malaria elimination in Botswana by 2018: progress on case-based surveillance, 2013–2014

PubMed Central

Edwards, J.; Namboze, J.; Butt, W.; Moakofhi, K.; Obopile, M.; Manzi, M.; Takarinda, K. C.; Zachariah, R.; Owiti, P.; Oumer, N.; Mosweunyane, T.

2018-01-01

Background: Reliable information reporting systems ensure that all malaria cases are tested, treated and tracked to avoid further transmission. Botswana aimed to eliminate malaria by 2018, and surveillance is key. This study focused on assessing the uptake of the new malaria case-based surveillance (CBS) system introduced in 2012, which captures information on malaria cases reported in the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study based on routine data focusing on Ngami, Chobe and Okavango, three high-risk districts in Botswana. Aggregated data variables were extracted from the IDSR and compared with data from the CBS. Results: The IDSR reported 456 malaria cases in 2013 and 1346 in 2014, of which respectively only 305 and 884 were reported by the CBS. The CBS reported 34% fewer cases than the IDSR system, indicating substantial differences between the two systems. The key malaria indicators with the greatest variability among the districts included in the study were case identification number and date of diagnosis. Conclusion: The IDSR and CBS systems are essential for malaria elimination, as shown by the significant gaps in reporting between the two systems. These findings highlight the need for further investigation into these discrepancies. Strengthening the CBS system will help to reach the objective of malaria elimination in Botswana. PMID:29713590

Demonstration of successful malaria forecasts for Botswana using an operational seasonal climate model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacLeod, Dave A.; Jones, Anne; Di Giuseppe, Francesca; Caminade, Cyril; Morse, Andrew P.

2015-04-01

The severity and timing of seasonal malaria epidemics is strongly linked with temperature and rainfall. Advance warning of meteorological conditions from seasonal climate models can therefore potentially anticipate unusually strong epidemic events, building resilience and adapting to possible changes in the frequency of such events. Here we present validation of a process-based, dynamic malaria model driven by hindcasts from a state-of-the-art seasonal climate model from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. We validate the climate and malaria models against observed meteorological and incidence data for Botswana over the period 1982-2006 the longest record of observed incidence data which has been used to validate a modeling system of this kind. We consider the impact of climate model biases, the relationship between climate and epidemiological predictability and the potential for skillful malaria forecasts. Forecast skill is demonstrated for upper tercile malaria incidence for the Botswana malaria season (January-May), using forecasts issued at the start of November; the forecast system anticipates six out of the seven upper tercile malaria seasons in the observational period. The length of the validation time series gives confidence in the conclusion that it is possible to make reliable forecasts of seasonal malaria risk, forming a key part of a health early warning system for Botswana and contributing to efforts to adapt to climate change.

Understanding human resource management practices in Botswana's public health sector.

PubMed

Seitio-Kgokgwe, Onalenna Stannie; Gauld, Robin; Hill, Philip C; Barnett, Pauline

2016-11-21

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the management of the public sector health workforce in Botswana. Using institutional frameworks it aims to document and analyse human resource management (HRM) practices, and make recommendations to improve employee and health system outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws from a large study that used a mixed methods approach to assess performance of Botswana's Ministry of Health (MOH). It uses data collected through document analysis and in-depth interviews of 54 key informants comprising policy makers, senior staff of the MOH and its stakeholder organizations. Findings Public health sector HRM in Botswana has experienced inadequate planning, poor deployment and underutilization of staff. Lack of comprehensive retention strategies and poor working conditions contributed to the failure to attract and retain skilled personnel. Relationships with both formal and informal environments affected HRM performance. Research limitations/implications While document review was a major source of data for this paper, the weaknesses in the human resource information system limited availability of data. Practical implications This paper presents an argument for the need for consideration of formal and informal environments in developing effective HRM strategies. Originality/value This research provides a rare system-wide approach to health HRM in a Sub-Saharan African country. It contributes to the literature and evidence needed to guide HRM policy decisions and practices.

Integrating policy, disintegrating practice: water resources management in Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swatuk, Larry A.; Rahm, Dianne

Botswana is generally regarded as an African ‘success story’. Nearly four decades of unabated economic growth, multi-party democracy, conservative decision-making and low-levels of corruption have made Botswana the darling of the international donor community. One consequence of rapid and sustained economic development is that water resources use and demands have risen dramatically in a primarily arid/semi-arid environment. Policy makers recognize that supply is limited and that deliberate steps must be taken to manage demand. To this end, and in line with other members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Botswana devised a National Water Master Plan (NWMP) and undertook a series of institutional and legal reforms throughout the 1990s so as to make water resources use more equitable, efficient and sustainable. In other words, the stated goal is to work toward Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in both policy and practice. However, policy measures have had limited impact on de facto practice. This paper reflects our efforts to understand the disjuncture between policy and practice. The information presented here combines a review of primary and secondary literatures with key informant interviews. It is our view that a number of constraints-cultural, power political, managerial-combine to hinder efforts toward sustainable forms of water resources use. If IWRM is to be realized in the country, these constraints must be overcome. This, however, is no small task.

Survey of health care worker knowledge about childhood tuberculosis in high-burden centers in Botswana.

PubMed

Arscott-Mills, T; Masole, L; Ncube, R; Steenhoff, A P

2017-05-01

Quantifying health care workers' (HCWs') knowledge about tuberculosis (TB) informs educational interventions. We assessed HCWs' knowledge about childhood TB in Botswana. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with HCWs at 46 sites around Botswana using a piloted instrument. Transcripts were double-coded using a coding schema. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus and a systematic thematic analysis was performed. The sites (42 clinics and 4 hospitals) were urban (n = 9, 20%), semi-urban (n = 10, 22%) and rural (n = 27, 58%). HCWs included nurses (n = 42, 89%) and nurse assistants (n = 4, 11%). Sixteen (56%) HCWs were the TB focal persons for their site. Themes did not vary by type of site, HCW or TB focal person. Although the level of knowledge about secondary prevention using isoniazid prophylaxis therapy was fair, implementation was poor and contact tracing was not being performed. Barriers to TB diagnosis included poor knowledge about TB in the community, minimal diagnostics at site of care and not receiving test results. However, most HCWs reported that treatment initiation and the calculation of appropriate dosages were easy once the diagnosis had been made. In Botswana, HCWs' levels of knowledge about childhood TB varied greatly. The areas of TB diagnosis, screening and prophylaxis in children need additional attention in TB training courses; however, increased knowledge alone would not overcome all the barriers identified by the HCWs.

Beliefs about the causes of cervical cancer in Botswana: implications for nursing.

PubMed

McFarland, D M

2009-12-01

Cervical cancer is the most common cause of cancer mortality and morbidity for women in Botswana. Yet, little is known about what women believe to be the causes of the disease. This paper presents data on factors women in Botswana believe are responsible for the high incidence of cervical cancer in their country. Data were part of a larger study that explored knowledge and perceptions about cervical cancer and Pap smear screening from the perspectives of the clients and the healthcare providers. The study that generated the data included 30 women of all socio-economic levels, recruited by network sampling. The women's ages ranged from 31 to 54 years. Demographic data were analysed descriptively. Individualized interview data were content-analysed. The identified causes of cervical cancer were classified as cervical irritants and non-irritants. The most commonly cited cervical irritants were vaginally inserted chemical agents and traditional medicine. Participants identified vaginally inserted chemical substances and traditional medicines as possible explanations for the high incidence of cervical cancer in Botswana. They reported that women used these substances for sexual and hygienic purposes. Although these factors are believed to be the causes of cervical cancer and have not yet been medically acknowledged, verbal reports suggest that their use is problematic. There is a need for health education and for further research to affirm women's beliefs about the harmful effects of intravaginal agents.

Driving towards malaria elimination in Botswana by 2018: progress on case-based surveillance, 2013-2014.

PubMed

Motlaleng, M; Edwards, J; Namboze, J; Butt, W; Moakofhi, K; Obopile, M; Manzi, M; Takarinda, K C; Zachariah, R; Owiti, P; Oumer, N; Mosweunyane, T

2018-04-25

Background: Reliable information reporting systems ensure that all malaria cases are tested, treated and tracked to avoid further transmission. Botswana aimed to eliminate malaria by 2018, and surveillance is key. This study focused on assessing the uptake of the new malaria case-based surveillance (CBS) system introduced in 2012, which captures information on malaria cases reported in the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study based on routine data focusing on Ngami, Chobe and Okavango, three high-risk districts in Botswana. Aggregated data variables were extracted from the IDSR and compared with data from the CBS. Results: The IDSR reported 456 malaria cases in 2013 and 1346 in 2014, of which respectively only 305 and 884 were reported by the CBS. The CBS reported 34% fewer cases than the IDSR system, indicating substantial differences between the two systems. The key malaria indicators with the greatest variability among the districts included in the study were case identification number and date of diagnosis. Conclusion: The IDSR and CBS systems are essential for malaria elimination, as shown by the significant gaps in reporting between the two systems. These findings highlight the need for further investigation into these discrepancies. Strengthening the CBS system will help to reach the objective of malaria elimination in Botswana.

Buffalo, Bush Meat, and the Zoonotic Threat of Brucellosis in Botswana

PubMed Central

Alexander, Kathleen Anne; Blackburn, Jason Kenna; Vandewalle, Mark Eric; Pesapane, Risa; Baipoledi, Eddie Kekgonne; Elzer, Phil H.

2012-01-01

Background Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease of global importance infecting humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Little is known about the epidemiology and persistence of brucellosis in wildlife in Southern Africa, particularly in Botswana. Methods Archived wildlife samples from Botswana (1995–2000) were screened with the Rose Bengal Test (RBT) and fluorescence polarization assay (FPA) and included the African buffalo (247), bushbuck (1), eland (5), elephant (25), gemsbok (1), giraffe (9), hartebeest (12), impala (171), kudu (27), red lechwe (10), reedbuck (1), rhino (2), springbok (5), steenbok (2), warthog (24), waterbuck (1), wildebeest (33), honey badger (1), lion (43), and zebra (21). Human case data were extracted from government annual health reports (1974–2006). Findings Only buffalo (6%, 95% CI 3.04%–8.96%) and giraffe (11%, 95% CI 0–38.43%) were confirmed seropositive on both tests. Seropositive buffalo were widely distributed across the buffalo range where cattle density was low. Human infections were reported in low numbers with most infections (46%) occurring in children (<14 years old) and no cases were reported among people working in the agricultural sector. Conclusions Low seroprevalence of brucellosis in Botswana buffalo in a previous study in 1974 and again in this survey suggests an endemic status of the disease in this species. Buffalo, a preferred source of bush meat, is utilized both legally and illegally in Botswana. Household meat processing practices can provide widespread pathogen exposure risk to family members and the community, identifying an important source of zoonotic pathogen transmission potential. Although brucellosis may be controlled in livestock populations, public health officials need to be alert to the possibility of human infections arising from the use of bush meat. This study illustrates the need for a unified approach in infectious disease research that includes consideration of both domestic and wildlife sources of infection in determining public health risks from zoonotic disease invasions. PMID:22412932

Status of waste tyres and management practice in Botswana.

PubMed

Mmereki, Daniel; Machola, Bontle; Mokokwe, Kentlafetse

2017-02-22

Waste tyres (WTs) are becoming a significant environmental, economical and technological challenge due to their high contents of combustible composition and potential for valuable materials and energy resources. Fewer studies in developing and even developed countries have been carried out to assess the challenges regarding waste tyres management, and suggested the best alternative solutions for managing this waste stream. While developed countries made progress in waste tyres management needs by implementing more efficient innovative recovery and recycling methods, and restrictive regulations regarding the management of used tyres, in many developing countries the management of waste tyres has not received adequate interest, and the processing, treatment and disposal of waste tyre is still nascent. In recent years, worldwide, several methods for managing used tyres, including other principal alternatives for managing end-of-life tyres defined in the 4Rs, reduction, re-use, recovery and recycling have been adopted and applied to minimize serious threats to both the natural environment environment and human. The paper attempted to establish stakeholders' action that has the responsibility in waste tyre management in Botswana. This study also analyzed important aspects on waste tyres management in Botswana. A synthesis of approaches was employed in the present investigation to determine the factors influencing effective performance of waste tyres management practice in Botswana. Data for the present study was obtained using relevant published literature, scientific journals, other third sector sources, academic sources, and research derived from governments and other agencies and field observations. Group discussions with the participants and semi-structured interviews with professionals were carried out. The outcomes of this investigation are a wide-range outline concerning the participants that are important in waste tyres management, and a set of aspects affecting the management of waste tyres. The information provided by this study is very critical for reviewing and updating the methods and tools to update waste tyres data and trends to improve waste tyres management efficiency, suggesting innovative methods of recovering and recycling this waste stream in Botswana.

Cancer Incidence following Expansion of HIV Treatment in Botswana.

PubMed

Dryden-Peterson, Scott; Medhin, Heluf; Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Malebogo; Seage, George R; Suneja, Gita; Kayembe, Mukendi K A; Mmalane, Mompati; Rebbeck, Timothy; Rider, Jennifer R; Essex, Myron; Lockman, Shahin

2015-01-01

The expansion of combination antiretroviral treatment (ART) in southern Africa has dramatically reduced mortality due to AIDS-related infections, but the impact of ART on cancer incidence in the region is unknown. We sought to describe trends in cancer incidence in Botswana during implementation of the first public ART program in Africa. We included 8479 incident cases from the Botswana National Cancer Registry during a period of significant ART expansion in Botswana, 2003-2008, when ART coverage increased from 7.3% to 82.3%. We fit Poisson models of age-adjusted cancer incidence and counts in the total population, and in an inverse probability weighted population with known HIV status, over time and estimated ART coverage. During this period 61.6% of cancers were diagnosed in HIV-infected individuals and 45.4% of all cancers in men and 36.4% of all cancers in women were attributable to HIV. Age-adjusted cancer incidence decreased in the HIV infected population by 8.3% per year (95% CI -14.1 to -2.1%). However, with a progressively larger and older HIV population the annual number of cancers diagnosed remained constant (0.0% annually, 95% CI -4.3 to +4.6%). In the overall population, incidence of Kaposi's sarcoma decreased (4.6% annually, 95% CI -6.9 to -2.2), but incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (+11.5% annually, 95% CI +6.3 to +17.0%) and HPV-associated cancers increased (+3.9% annually, 95% CI +1.4 to +6.5%). Age-adjusted cancer incidence among individuals without HIV increased 7.5% per year (95% CI +1.4 to +15.2%). Expansion of ART in Botswana was associated with decreased age-specific cancer risk. However, an expanding and aging population contributed to continued high numbers of incident cancers in the HIV population. Increased capacity for early detection and treatment of HIV-associated cancer needs to be a new priority for programs in Africa.

Contextual factors associated with treatment-seeking and higher-risk sexual behaviour in Botswana among men with symptoms of sexually transmitted infections.

PubMed

Langeni, Tabitha

2007-11-01

This study investigates contextual factors associated with treatment-seeking behaviour and higher-risk sexual conduct of men symptomatic of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Botswana. Data were drawn from a randomly selected, nationally representative sample of 8 222 men, aged 15-64 years, who had reported having symptoms suggestive of an STI during the previous twelve months. Higher-risk behaviour continues to sustain the HIV epidemic in Botswana. At the heart of Botswana's epidemic lies men's reluctance to seek medical treatment, engaging in unprotected sex, and having sex with multiple partners while symptomatic of an STI. The odds of engaging in unprotected sex while symptomatic of an STI were significantly higher among teenage males and males in urban households. For every year's increase in the age difference between partners there was a 28% increase in the odds of the male having had unprotected sex. Being married and having had more than one sexual partner in the last year multiplied the odds of having unprotected sex while symptomatic of an STI by three times. The longer an infected man remained with symptoms before seeking help, the more likely it was to have unprotected sex while infected and the more likely to seek treatment from a traditional healer. Notably, having sought medical treatment from hospitals, clinics and health workers, as opposed to consulting traditional healers, significantly reduced the odds of having had unprotected sex while infected with an STI by 48%. The results indicate the need to encourage men to utilise public healthcare services. The public health sector in Botswana needs to provide healthcare services that are user-friendly for men. Increasing the number of treatment sites may also contribute to preventing onward transmission of STIs. Special attention needs to be paid to boys' socialisation towards gender norms, and men are to be encouraged to play a responsible role in HIV prevention.

Choice-disability and HIV infection: a cross sectional study of HIV status in Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland.

PubMed

Andersson, Neil; Cockcroft, Anne

2012-01-01

Interpersonal power gradients may prevent people implementing HIV prevention decisions. Among 7,464 youth aged 15-29 years in Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland we documented indicators of choice-disability (low education, educational disparity with partner, experience of sexual violence, experience of intimate partner violence (IPV), poverty, partner income disparity, willingness to have sex without a condom despite believing partner at risk of HIV), and risk behaviours like inconsistent use of condoms and multiple partners. In Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland, 22.9, 9.1, and 26.1% women, and 8.3, 2.8, and 9.3% men, were HIV positive. Among both women and men, experience of IPV, IPV interacted with age, and partner income disparity interacted with age were associated with HIV positivity in multivariate analysis. Additional factors were low education (for women) and poverty (for men). Choice disability may be an important driver of the AIDS epidemic. New strategies are needed that favour the choice-disabled.

Web Mapping for Promoting Interaction and Collaboration in Community Land Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veenendaal, B.; Dhliwayo, M.

2013-10-01

There is an inherent advantage of geographic information Systems (GIS) and mapping in facilitating dialogue between experts and non-experts during land use plan development. Combining visual mapping information and effective user interaction can result in considerable benefits for developing countries like Botswana. Although the adoption of information and communication technologies has lagged behind that for developed countries, initiatives by the Botswana government in providing suitable information infrastructures, including internet and web based communications, are enabling multiple users to interact and collaborate in community land planning. A web mapping application was developed for the Maun Development Plan (MDP) in the Okavango Delta region in Botswana. It was designed according to requirements of land planners and managers and implemented using ArcGIS Viewer for Flex. Land planners and managers from two organisations in Maun involved in the development of the MDP were asked to evaluate the web mapping tools. This paper describes the results of implementation and some preliminary results of the web mapping evaluation.

A case of rhinolithiasis in botswana: a mineralogical, microscopic and chemical study.

PubMed

Vink, Bernard W; van Hasselt, Piet; Wormald, Richard

2002-12-01

A case of rhinolithiasis in Southeast Botswana was treated and after removal in hospital, the rhinolith was subjected to macroscopic and microscopic examination, X-ray diffraction analysis, electron microscope analysis and partial botanical analysis. The rhinolith consists of a strongly elliptical core of calcium stearate (C36H70CaO4.H2O), surrounded by approximately 30 elongated concentric growth rings, consisting of sodium-containing whitlockite (Ca18Mg2(Na,H)(PO4)14). The different layers have various degrees of porosity and red staining, probably due to traces of amorphous iron oxide. The origin of the rhinolith started with a piece of plant material, lodged in the nose, which was replaced by calcium stearate, leaving some remnants of resistant epidermal plant tissue. During subsequent years, thin layers of whitlockite were deposited periodically around the core with the reddish brown bands representing deposition during the dry season when atmospheric dust rich in amorphous iron oxide is at its highest in Botswana.

Establishing a new medical school: Botswana's experience.

PubMed

Mokone, Gaonyadiwe G; Kebaetse, Maikutlo; Wright, John; Kebaetse, Masego B; Makgabana-Dintwa, Oarabile; Kebaabetswe, Poloko; Badlangana, Ludo; Mogodi, Mpho; Bryant, Katie; Nkomazana, Oathokwa

2014-08-01

Having adequate numbers of qualified human resources for health is essential for any effective health care system. However, there is a global shortage of skilled health care workers, especially in Sub-Saharan African countries. This shortage is exacerbated by a disproportionately high rate of infectious diseases, the burden of emerging chronic, noncommunicable diseases, and the emigration of medical doctors. Botswana has also experienced this critical shortage of doctors for many years. To address the shortage, the country in the 1990 s embarked on an aggressive program to train its students at foreign medical schools. Despite intensified training, many graduates have not returned. As a result, the country decided to establish a medical school within Botswana. The newly established school was awarded a grant from the Medical Education Partnership Initiative, which has helped to accelerate the school's development. This paper describes the authors' experiences, highlighting curriculum, staffing, infrastructure approaches, key successes, and challenges encountered. The paper concludes by proposing solutions. The authors' experiences and the lessons learned can inform colleagues in other countries considering similar endeavors.

Tinea capitis in Botswana

PubMed Central

Thakur, Rameshwari

2013-01-01

Background Tinea capitis (TC) is a common dermatophyte infection of the scalp that can also involve the eyebrows and eyelashes. Aim This study aimed to find the causative fungus responsible for TC in Botswana and determine its association with the clinical types of TC. Methods Samples for potassium hydroxide 10% mounts and fungal cultures were collected in a microbiology laboratory at the National Health Laboratory, Gaborone, Botswana. Dermasel agar and Sabouraud dextrose agar were inoculated with the samples. Lactophenol cotton blue mounts were prepared from the culture-positive samples to study the morphological characteristics. Results Trichophyton violaceum was found to be the predominant causative organism of TC. Trichophyton tonsurans was isolated from one patient. Both are anthropophilic species. Conclusion TC was found to be most common in those aged 1–15 years (81%). Of 17 patients in this age group, 16 were younger than 10 years old and one was 14 years old. T. violaceum was the most common dermatophyte species isolated. PMID:23386791

Relative availability of natural prey versus livestock predicts landscape suitability for cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus in Botswana.

PubMed

Winterbach, Hanlie E K; Winterbach, Christiaan W; Boast, Lorraine K; Klein, Rebecca; Somers, Michael J

2015-01-01

Prey availability and human-carnivore conflict are strong determinants that govern the spatial distribution and abundance of large carnivore species and determine the suitability of areas for their conservation. For wide-ranging large carnivores such as cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), additional conservation areas beyond protected area boundaries are crucial to effectively conserve them both inside and outside protected areas. Although cheetahs prefer preying on wild prey, they also cause conflict with people by predating on especially small livestock. We investigated whether the distribution of cheetahs' preferred prey and small livestock biomass could be used to explore the potential suitability of agricultural areas in Botswana for the long-term persistence of its cheetah population. We found it gave a good point of departure for identifying priority areas for land management, the threat to connectivity between cheetah populations, and areas where the reduction and mitigation of human-cheetah conflict is critical. Our analysis showed the existence of a wide prey base for cheetahs across large parts of Botswana's agricultural areas, which provide additional large areas with high conservation potential. Twenty percent of wild prey biomass appears to be the critical point to distinguish between high and low probable levels of human-cheetah conflict. We identified focal areas in the agricultural zones where restoring wild prey numbers in concurrence with effective human-cheetah conflict mitigation efforts are the most immediate conservation strategies needed to maintain Botswana's still large and contiguous cheetah population.

Experiences of grandmothers caring for orphan grandchildren in Botswana.

PubMed

Shaibu, Sheila

2013-12-01

The purpose of the study was to identify the experiences of the grandparents who were taking care of orphan grandchildren in Botswana. A descriptive qualitative design was used to interview 12 grandmothers 60 years and older in a semi-urban village in Botswana. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The ages of the grandmothers interviewed ranged from 60 to 80 years, while the number of orphans under their care ranged from 1 to 9 years. The themes that emerged included context of caregiving, acceptance of the caregiver role, consequences of caregiving, social support, and coping strategies. Although they accepted the caregiving role and appreciated the government assistance, it was fraught with difficulties. They reported very limited or no support from the extended family, and their health concerns compromised their financial circumstances. Although the grandmothers accepted this role, it was described as difficult, and had profound consequences for them. Recommendations include comprehensive support for grandmothers and orphans that include psychological support and health promotion. Grandparents are an important support system of orphans in Botswana since there are very few orphanages. In order to support grandparents in this role, community health nurses need to provide comprehensive health promotion for grandmothers caring for orphans that includes support groups and multidisciplinary care teams to ensure that the grandmothers' health is not neglected. Nurse educators should also include care of grandmothers caring for orphans in their curricula. © 2013 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Management of post abortion complications in Botswana -The need for a standardized approach.

PubMed

Melese, Tadele; Habte, Dereje; Tsima, Billy M; Mogobe, Keitshokile Dintle; Nassali, Mercy N

2018-01-01

Post abortion complications are the third leading cause of maternal death after hemorrhage and hypertension in Botswana where abortion is not legalized. This study aimed at assessing the management of post abortion complications in Botswana. A retrospective study was conducted at four hospitals in Botswana in 2014. Socio-demographic, patient management and outcomes data were extracted from patients' medical records. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used to analyze and present the data. A total of 619 patients' medical records were reviewed. The duration of hospital stay prior to uterine evacuation ranged from less than an hour to 480 hours. All the patients received either prophylactic or therapeutic antibiotics. Use of parenteral antibiotics was significantly associated with severity of abortion, second trimester abortion, use of blood products and the interval between management's decision and uterine evacuation. Uterine evacuation for retained products of conception was achieved by metallic curettage among 516 (83.4%) patients and by vacuum aspiration in 18 (2.9%). At all the study sites, Misoprostol or Oxytocin were used concurrently with surgical evacuation of the uterus. None use of analgesics or anesthetics in the four hospitals ranged between 12.4% to 28.8%. There is evidence of delayed patient care and prolonged hospital stay. Metallic curette was the primary method used for uterine evacuation across all the facilities. Pain management and antibiotics use was not standardized. A protocol has to be developed with the aim of standardizing post abortion care.

Management of post abortion complications in Botswana -The need for a standardized approach

PubMed Central

Habte, Dereje; Tsima, Billy M.; Mogobe, Keitshokile Dintle; Nassali, Mercy N.

2018-01-01

Background Post abortion complications are the third leading cause of maternal death after hemorrhage and hypertension in Botswana where abortion is not legalized. This study aimed at assessing the management of post abortion complications in Botswana. Methods A retrospective study was conducted at four hospitals in Botswana in 2014. Socio-demographic, patient management and outcomes data were extracted from patients’ medical records. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used to analyze and present the data. Result A total of 619 patients’ medical records were reviewed. The duration of hospital stay prior to uterine evacuation ranged from less than an hour to 480 hours. All the patients received either prophylactic or therapeutic antibiotics. Use of parenteral antibiotics was significantly associated with severity of abortion, second trimester abortion, use of blood products and the interval between management’s decision and uterine evacuation. Uterine evacuation for retained products of conception was achieved by metallic curettage among 516 (83.4%) patients and by vacuum aspiration in 18 (2.9%). At all the study sites, Misoprostol or Oxytocin were used concurrently with surgical evacuation of the uterus. None use of analgesics or anesthetics in the four hospitals ranged between 12.4% to 28.8%. Conclusion There is evidence of delayed patient care and prolonged hospital stay. Metallic curette was the primary method used for uterine evacuation across all the facilities. Pain management and antibiotics use was not standardized. A protocol has to be developed with the aim of standardizing post abortion care. PMID:29451883

Gender and access in the African school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Milton N.; Kruppenbach, Susan E.

1987-12-01

The educational system in major parts of Africa, where post-primary enrolment rates are the lowest in the world, is treated in this article. In particular, female access patterns to formal education in Botswana, Liberia, Niger and Somalia are compared. One primary conclusion reached by the authors is that enrolment levels are linked with general economic development. Factors leading to the comparatively high rate of females having gained access to a primary level of education on the one hand, and a very low rate of post-primary enrolment on the other, are discussed and the following issues are touched on: the marginal link between school expansion policies and actual female enrolment, and their predominance in the urban sector.

Out-of-pocket costs of HAART limit HIV treatment responses in Botswana's private sector.

PubMed

Bisson, Gregory P; Frank, Ian; Gross, Robert; Lo Re, Vincent; Strom, Jordan B; Wang, Xingmei; Mogorosi, Mpho; Gaolathe, Tendani; Ndwapi, Ndwapi; Friedman, Harvey; Strom, Brian L; Dickinson, Diana

2006-06-12

A large number of HIV-infected patients in sub-Saharan Africa pay out-of-pocket for HAART. This analysis from Botswana indicates that higher median out-of-pocket regimen costs to patients for the initial 30 days of HAART are associated with failure to achieve a viral load< 400 copies/ml [US$32; interquartile range (IQR), 20-84 compared with US$22; (IQR, 17-36), P = 0.001]. HAART costs should be minimized as scale-up efforts in sub-Saharan Africa progress.

Recommendations for Making Anti-Poaching Programs More Effective in the Southern African Region through the Analysis of Key Variables Impacting Upon the Poaching of Elephants in Botswana

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-08

habitat areas enhances the application of the above formula. This would normally be of benefit to the conservation efforts of this species , as it would...from the extent to which wild habitats and biodiversity have been preserved or enriched. Prior to achieving these results, rural 41 communities...scourge that was threatening the existence of Botswana’s wildlife. There are more than 164 different species of animals (mammals) in Botswana

Access to water in gazetted and ungazetted rural settlements in Ngamiland, Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazvimavi, Dominic; Mmopelwa, Gagoitseope

Lack of access to safe or improved water supply in developing countries is a major global concern, since water is a basic need for sustenance. Programmes aimed at improving access to safe water have been implemented in several sub-Saharan countries. In Botswana, only gazetted settlements have access to water and other basic services provided by the government. This paper examined the level of access to safe water, effort required, and problems encountered in collecting water by households in ungazetted settlements. The paper also investigated whether households in these settlements were willing to pay for improving access to water. The study has been undertaken on settlements located along the Boteti River in the North West District of Botswana. The majority of households in ungazetted settlements satisfy their domestic water requirements through abstracting untreated water from river flows and hand-dug wells when the river is not flowing. Men dominate in collecting water in ungazetted settlements, with the most dominant mode of transporting water being the use of donkey carts. The dominance of men in water collection and use of donkey carts is due to water sources being too distant from homesteads. This has resulted in low water consumption levels, with the per capita water consumption being less than 20 l/capita/day for most households. Such low levels of water consumption adversely affect attainment of desirable personal hygiene and food preparation. The opportunity cost of time for water collection has been estimated at 1.80 Botswana Pula (P) and the price of water is estimated to be P18/m 3 (1.00 P = 0.1755 USD on 18 November 2005). This is higher than the price paid by households residing in rural settlements obtaining water from government or district council water supply schemes. The majority of the households were willing to make a once-off contribution towards improving access to potable water with the mean willingness to pay (WTP) being P161 per household, or just over a third of the statutory agricultural minimum wage in Botswana, P589/month. The potential contribution by household to an improved water supply is significant for a largely unemployed rural population.

Assessment of nurses' cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge and skills within three district hospitals in Botswana.

PubMed

Rajeswaran, Lakshmi; Cox, Megan; Moeng, Stoffel; Tsima, Billy M

2018-04-12

 Nurses are usually the first to identify the need for and initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on patients with cardiopulmonary arrest in the hospital setting. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation has been shown to reduce in-hospital deaths when received from adequately trained health care professionals.  We aimed to investigate nurses' retention of CPR knowledge and skills at district hospitals in Botswana.  A quantitative, quasi-experimental study was conducted at three hospitals in Botswana. A pre-test, intervention, post-test, and a re-test after 6 months were utilised to determine the retention of CPR knowledge and skills. Non-probability, convenience sampling technique was used to select 154 nurses.The sequences of the test were consistent with the American Heart Association's 2010 basic life support (BLS) guidelines for health care providers. Data were analysed to compare performance over time.  This study showed markedly deficient CPR knowledge and skills among registered nurses in the three district hospitals. The pre-test knowledge average score (48%) indicated that the nurses did not know the majority of the BLS steps. Only 85 nurses participated in the re-evaluation test at 6 months. While a 26.4% increase was observed in the immediate post-test score compared with the pre-test, the performance of the available participants dropped by 14.5% in the re-test 6 months after the post-test.  Poor CPR knowledge and skills among registered nurses may impede the survival and management of cardiac arrest victims. Employers and nursing professional bodies in Botswana should encourage and monitor regular CPR refresher courses.

Assessment of nurses’ cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge and skills within three district hospitals in Botswana

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Background Nurses are usually the first to identify the need for and initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on patients with cardiopulmonary arrest in the hospital setting. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation has been shown to reduce in-hospital deaths when received from adequately trained health care professionals. Aim We aimed to investigate nurses’ retention of CPR knowledge and skills at district hospitals in Botswana. Methods A quantitative, quasi-experimental study was conducted at three hospitals in Botswana. A pre-test, intervention, post-test, and a re-test after 6 months were utilised to determine the retention of CPR knowledge and skills. Non-probability, convenience sampling technique was used to select 154 nurses. The sequences of the test were consistent with the American Heart Association’s 2010 basic life support (BLS) guidelines for health care providers. Data were analysed to compare performance over time. Results This study showed markedly deficient CPR knowledge and skills among registered nurses in the three district hospitals. The pre-test knowledge average score (48%) indicated that the nurses did not know the majority of the BLS steps. Only 85 nurses participated in the re-evaluation test at 6 months. While a 26.4% increase was observed in the immediate post-test score compared with the pre-test, the performance of the available participants dropped by 14.5% in the re-test 6 months after the post-test. Conclusion Poor CPR knowledge and skills among registered nurses may impede the survival and management of cardiac arrest victims. Employers and nursing professional bodies in Botswana should encourage and monitor regular CPR refresher courses. PMID:29781687

Prevalence of HIV testing and counseling and associated factors among secondary school students in Botswana.

PubMed

Bodika, Stephane M; Lekone, Phenyo E; Loeto, Peter; Alwano, Mary G; Zulu, Thekiso C; Kim, Evelyn; Machao, Gape; Voetsch, Andrew C

2016-05-01

The World Health Organization recommends HIV testing and counseling (HTC) for all adolescents living in countries with generalized HIV epidemics. In Botswana, HIV prevalence among adolescents 15-19 years is 3.7% and among pregnant adolescents is 10%. We describe the proportion and characteristics of secondary school students who have accessed HTC. A multistage sample survey was conducted among students in Botswana's public secondary schools in 2010. The survey was self-administered using a personal digital assistant device. The HTC rate was estimated using self-reported history of HIV testing. Of 1,632 participants, 52% were girls, 43% aged below 16 years, and 27% had ever had sexual intercourse. Most (81%) students knew where to get tested for HIV. Overall, 2.2% of students were HIV positive by self-report. The HTC rate was 23% overall, 34% among students who had ever had sexual intercourse, and 45% among students who had sexual intercourse in the past 12 months. Being pregnant or having made someone pregnant and having had sexual intercourse in the past 12 months were associated with having been tested for HIV among students who had ever had sexual intercourse. Overall, the HTC rate was low, and the self- reported HIV prevalence was high among secondary students in Botswana. Most sexually active students have never been tested for HIV. Health communications efforts for adolescents that increase demand for HTC, routine opt-out HIV testing in healthcare facilities, and school-based HIV testing are needed as part of a national HIV prevention strategy.

Achieving public and global health competencies: A teaching case study of Botswana's cervical cancer screening program.

PubMed

Okatch, Harriet; Sowicz, Timothy Joseph; Teng, Helen; Ramogola-Masire, Doreen; Buttenheim, Alison M

2018-05-01

To design and implement a case study on the cervical cancer screening program in Botswana to teach public and global health competencies to undergraduate nursing students. The case study was developed following a review of the literature on the epidemiology and health policies of cervical cancer in Botswana, and an interview with an obstetrician/gynecologist engaged in both clinical practice and research in Botswana. The case study has been implemented over seven semesters to students enrolled in the Nursing in the Community course at the University of Pennsylvania. Approximately 75-100 students are enrolled each semester. Student's perceptions of epidemiologic skills gained and group functioning. Students responded to an open-ended question about lessons learned and offered suggestions to improve the learning experience. Faculty assessment of student deliverables demonstrated that students achieved the learning objectives and mastered necessary competencies. More than 70% (n = 69) of the students indicated that they acquired relevant skills at greater than a satisfactory level. Generally, students had great experiences working in groups measured across five dimensions: engagement/contribution, creativity/resilience, on task/works independently, social interaction/communication, and preparedness. However, isolated cases of poor group functioning were reported for engagement/contribution, and creativity/resilience. The case study, which has been revised with respect to length, content and group processes, has been valuable in educating undergraduate nursing students in a more engaging way that mimics real life public health nursing scenarios. Students achieved both public and global health competencies through participation in the case study. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Appropriating social citizenship: women's labour, poverty, and entrepreneurship in the manual workers union of Botswana.

PubMed

Werbner, Pnina

2010-01-01

Interrogating critiques of the 'African labour aristocracy' thesis, the article proposes that public service industrial-class manual workers in Botswana form, if not a labour 'aristocracy' in the sense first defined by Saul and Arrighi, then a marginal worker 'elite'. They are privileged in having a regular salary above minimum pay, augmented by periodic lump-sum gratuity payments. This sets them apart from the other low-paid workers in the private sector, casual workers in the informal economy and a vast army of unemployed job seekers. In the absence of a national unemployment benefit scheme in Botswana, the article explores some of the strategies deployed by women members of the Manual Workers Union in their attempts to contend with the spectre of future unemployment and impoverishment. In gender terms, the article highlights the independence, autonomy and decision-making capacity of women trade unionist leaders, who straddle the worlds of workers' rights and citizens' rights, and manoeuvre their way through the maze of rules and regulations they encounter in both.

Making use of renewable energy

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

Johnston, J.C.

1984-01-01

This book describes renewable energy projects proposed for the rural areas of developing countries. Topics considered include biogas generation in Zimbabwe, biogas technology for water pumping in Botswana, soil fertility and energy problems in rural development in the Zaire rain forest, international scientific collaboration on biogas technologies for rural development, alcohol from biomass, an ethanol project in Zimbabwe, biomass alcohol and the fuel-food issue, solar water heating in Zimbabwe, absorbent box solar cookers, solar crop drying in Zimbabwe, the use of passive solar energy in Botswana buildings, the potential of mini hydro systems, woodfuel as a potential renewable energy source,more » small-scale afforestation for domestic needs in the communal lands of Zimbabwe, muscle power, the use of human energy in construction, hand-operated water pumps, animal power for water pumping in Botswana, the production of charcoal in Zambia, improving the efficiency of a traditional charcoal-burning Burmese cooking stove, social impacts, non-engineering constraints affecting energy use in a rural area, women and energy, and non-technical factors influencing the establishment of fuels-from-crops industries in developing countries.« less

Draft Genome Sequence of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Pathogen M. mungi, Identified in a Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo) in Northern Botswana.

PubMed

Alexander, Kathleen A; Larsen, Michelle H; Robbe-Austerman, Suelee; Stuber, Tod P; Camp, Patrick M

2016-07-28

Mycobacterium mungi, a Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex pathogen, has emerged in banded mongoose in northern Botswana and Northwest Zimbabwe. The pathogen is transmitted through infected secretions used in olfactory communication behavior (K. A. Alexander, C. E. Sanderson, M. H. Larsen, S. Robbe-Austerman, M. C. Williams, and M. V. Palmer, mBio 7(3):e00281-16, 2016, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00281-16). We announce here the draft genome sequence of this emerging pathogen. Copyright © 2016 Alexander et al.

Makgadikgadi Salt Pan, Botswana, Africa

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-01-19

STS054-151-015 (13-19 Jan 1993) --- The Makgadikgadi Salt Pan is one of the largest features in Botswana visible from space. Any water that spills out of the Okavango Swamplands flows down to the Makgadikgadi where it evaporates. An ancient beach line can be seen as a smooth line around the west (left) side of the Pan. Orapa diamond mine can be detected due south of the pan as a small rectangle. The large geological feature known as the Great Dike of Zimbabwe can be seen far right. This large panorama shows clouds in southern Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe in the distance.

Earth observations taken by the Expedition 14 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-01

ISS014-E-15732 (1 March 2007) --- Salt ponds of Botswana are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 14 crewmember on the International Space Station. This recent, detailed view shows the salt ponds of one of Africa's major producers of soda ash (sodium carbonate) and salt. Soda ash is used for glass making, in metallurgy, in the detergent industry, and in chemical manufacture. The image shows a small part of the great salt flats of central Botswana known as the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. The soda ash and salt are both mainly exported (since 1989) to most countries in southern and central Africa. Brines from just beneath the pan floor are evaporated to produce the soda ash and salt -- a process for which the semiarid climate of Botswana is ideal. Red salt-loving algae in the ponds indicate that the salinity of the evaporating brines is medium to high. The salt pans of Botswana--a prominent visual photo target of interest for astronauts aboard the station--lie at the low point of a vast shallow continental basin. Rivers draining from as far away as central Angola - more than 1,000 kilometers away - supply water to the pans. According to scientists, during several wet climatic phases in the recent geological past the pans were permanently filled with water, for thousands of years, only to dry out when climates fluctuated to drier conditions. During dry phases water only reaches the pans underground. These are the brines that support the ash and salt industry. During wet phases when open water exists, beach ridges are constructed by wave action. One of these crosses the lower part of the view.

Landscape Suitability in Botswana for the Conservation of Its Six Large African Carnivores

PubMed Central

Winterbach, Hanlie E. K.; Winterbach, Christiaan W.; Somers, Michael J.

2014-01-01

Wide-ranging large carnivores often range beyond the boundaries of protected areas into human-dominated areas. Mapping out potentially suitable habitats on a country-wide scale and identifying areas with potentially high levels of threats to large carnivore survival is necessary to develop national conservation action plans. We used a novel approach to map and identify these areas in Botswana for its large carnivore guild consisting of lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera pardus), spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta), brown hyaena (Hyaena brunnea), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). The habitat suitability for large carnivores depends primarily on prey availability, interspecific competition, and conflict with humans. Prey availability is most likely the strongest natural determinant. We used the distribution of biomass of typical wild ungulate species occurring in Botswana which is preyed upon by the six large carnivores to evaluate the potential suitability of the different management zones in the country to sustain large carnivore populations. In areas where a high biomass of large prey species occurred, we assumed interspecific competition between dominant and subordinated competitors to be high. This reduced the suitability of these areas for conservation of subordinate competitors, and vice versa. We used the percentage of prey biomass of the total prey and livestock biomass to identify areas with potentially high levels of conflict in agricultural areas. High to medium biomass of large prey was mostly confined to conservation zones, while small prey biomass was more evenly spread across large parts of the country. This necessitates different conservation strategies for carnivores with a preference for large prey, and those that can persist in the agricultural areas. To ensure connectivity between populations inside Botswana and also with its neighbours, a number of critical areas for priority management actions exist in the agricultural zones. PMID:24949735

Landscape suitability in Botswana for the conservation of its six large African carnivores.

PubMed

Winterbach, Hanlie E K; Winterbach, Christiaan W; Somers, Michael J

2014-01-01

Wide-ranging large carnivores often range beyond the boundaries of protected areas into human-dominated areas. Mapping out potentially suitable habitats on a country-wide scale and identifying areas with potentially high levels of threats to large carnivore survival is necessary to develop national conservation action plans. We used a novel approach to map and identify these areas in Botswana for its large carnivore guild consisting of lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera pardus), spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta), brown hyaena (Hyaena brunnea), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). The habitat suitability for large carnivores depends primarily on prey availability, interspecific competition, and conflict with humans. Prey availability is most likely the strongest natural determinant. We used the distribution of biomass of typical wild ungulate species occurring in Botswana which is preyed upon by the six large carnivores to evaluate the potential suitability of the different management zones in the country to sustain large carnivore populations. In areas where a high biomass of large prey species occurred, we assumed interspecific competition between dominant and subordinated competitors to be high. This reduced the suitability of these areas for conservation of subordinate competitors, and vice versa. We used the percentage of prey biomass of the total prey and livestock biomass to identify areas with potentially high levels of conflict in agricultural areas. High to medium biomass of large prey was mostly confined to conservation zones, while small prey biomass was more evenly spread across large parts of the country. This necessitates different conservation strategies for carnivores with a preference for large prey, and those that can persist in the agricultural areas. To ensure connectivity between populations inside Botswana and also with its neighbours, a number of critical areas for priority management actions exist in the agricultural zones.

Prediction of onset and cessation of austral summer rainfall and dry spell frequency analysis in semiarid Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byakatonda, Jimmy; Parida, B. P.; Kenabatho, Piet K.; Moalafhi, D. B.

2018-01-01

Uncertainties in rainfall have increased in the recent past exacerbating climate risks which are projected to be higher in semiarid environments. This study investigates the associated features of rainfall such as rain onset, cessation, length of the rain season (LRS), and dry spell frequency (DSF) as part of climate risk management in Botswana. Their trends were analysed using Mann-Kendall test statistic and Sen's Slope estimator. The rainfall-evapotranspiration relationships were used in formulating the rain onset and cessation criteria. To understand some of the complexities arising from such uncertainties, artificial neural network (ANN) is used to predict onset and cessation of rain. Results reveal higher coefficients of variation in onset dates as compared to cessation of rain. Pandamatenga experiences the earliest onset on 28th of November while Tsabong the latest on 14th of January. Likewise, earliest cessation is observed at Tshane on 22nd of February and the latest on 30th of March at Shakawe. The shortest LRS of 45 days is registered at Tsabong whereas the northern locations show LRS greater than 100 days. Stations across the country experience strong negative correlation between onset and LRS of - 0.9. DSF shows increasing trends in 50% of the stations but only significant at Mahalapye, Pandamatenga, and Shakawe. Combining the LRS criteria and DSF, Kasane, Pandamatenga, and Shakawe were identified to be suitable for rainfed agriculture in Botswana especially for short to medium maturing cereal varieties. Predictions of onset and cessation indicate the possibility of delayed onset by 2-5 weeks in the next 5 years. Information generated from this study could help Botswana in climate risk management in the context of rainfed farming.

Hearing Impairment Among Children Referred to a Public Audiology Clinic in Gaborone, Botswana.

PubMed

Banda, Francis M; Powis, Kathleen M; Mokoka, Agnes B; Mmapetla, Moalosi; Westmoreland, Katherine D; David, Thuso; Steenhoff, Andrew P

2018-01-01

Objective . To describe and quantify hearing impairment among children referred to the audiology clinic in Princess Marina Hospital, a public referral hospital in Botswana. Methods . In a retrospective case series, we reviewed medical records of children aged 10 years and younger whose hearing was assessed between January 2006 and December 2015 at the audiology clinic of Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana. Results . Of 622 children, 50% were male, and median age was 6.7 years (interquartile range = 5.0-8.3). Hearing impairment was diagnosed in 32% of clinic attendees, comprising sensorineural (23%), conductive (25%), and mixed (11%) hearing loss, while 41% of children with diagnosed hearing impairment did not have a classification type. Hearing impairment was mild in 22.9%, moderate in 22.4%, severe in 19.4%, profound in 16.9%, and of undocumented severity in 18.4%. Children younger than 5 years were 2.7 times (95% confidence interval = 1.29-5.49; P = .008) more likely to be diagnosed with sensorineural hearing impairment compared with those older than 5 years. By contrast, children older than 5 years were 9.6 times (95% confidence interval = 2.22-41.0; P = .002) more likely to be diagnosed with conductive hearing loss compared with those under 5 years. Conclusion . Hearing impairment was common among children referred to this audiology clinic in Botswana. Of those with hearing impairment, more than a third had moderate or severe deficits, suggesting that referrals for hearing assessments are not occurring early enough. Hearing awareness programs individually tailored to parents, educators, and health care workers are needed. Neonatal and school hearing screening programs would also be beneficial.

Impact of contextualized pediatric resuscitation training on pediatric healthcare providers in Botswana.

PubMed

Wright, Shelton W; Steenhoff, Andrew P; Elci, Okan; Wolfe, Heather A; Ralston, Mark; Kgosiesele, Thandie; Makone, Ishmael; Mazhani, Loeto; Nadkarni, Vinay M; Meaney, Peter A

2015-03-01

Worldwide, 6.6 million children die each year, partly due to a failure to recognize and treat acutely ill children. Programs that improve provider recognition and treatment initiation may improve child survival. Describe provider characteristics and hospital resources during a contextualized pediatric resuscitation training program in Botswana and determine if training impacts provider knowledge retention. The American Heart Association's Pediatric Emergency Assessment Recognition and Stabilization (PEARS) course was contextualized to Botswana resources and practice guidelines in this observational study. A cohort of facility-based nurses (FBN) was assessed prior to and 1-month following training. Survey tools assessed provider characteristics, cognitive knowledge and confidence and hospital pediatric resources. Data analysis utilized Fisher's exact, Chi-square, Wilcoxon rank-sum and linear regression where appropriate. 61 healthcare providers (89% FBNs, 11% physicians) successfully completed PEARS training. Referral facilities had more pediatric specific equipment and high-flow oxygen. Median frequency of pediatric resuscitation was higher in referral compared to district level FBN's (5 [3,10] vs. 2 [1,3] p=0.007). While 50% of FBN's had previous resuscitation training, none was pediatric specific. Median provider confidence improved significantly after training (3.8/5 vs. 4.7/5, p<0.001), as did knowledge of correct management of acute pneumonia and diarrhea (44% vs. 100%, p<0.001, 6% vs. 67%, p<0.001, respectively). FBN's in Botswana report frequent resuscitation of ill children but low baseline training. Provider knowledge for recognition and initial treatment of respiratory distress and shock is low. Contextualized training significantly increased FBN provider confidence and knowledge retention 1-month after training. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hazardous and toxic waste management in Botswana: practices and challenges.

PubMed

Mmereki, Daniel; Li, Baizhan; Meng, Liu

2014-12-01

Hazardous and toxic waste is a complex waste category because of its inherent chemical and physical characteristics. It demands for environmentally sound technologies and know-how as well as clean technologies that simultaneously manage and dispose it in an environmentally friendly way. Nevertheless, Botswana lacks a system covering all the critical steps from importation to final disposal or processing of hazardous and toxic waste owing to limited follow-up of the sources and types of hazardous and toxic waste, lack of modern and specialised treatment/disposal facilities, technical know-how, technically skilled manpower, funds and capabilities of local institutions to take lead in waste management. Therefore, because of a lack of an integrated system, there are challenges such as lack of cooperation among all the stakeholders about the safe management of hazardous and toxic waste. Furthermore, Botswana does not have a systematic regulatory framework regarding monitoring and hazardous and toxic waste management. In addition to the absence of a systematic regulatory framework, inadequate public awareness and dissemination of information about hazardous and toxic waste management, slower progress to phase-out persistent and bio-accumulative waste, and lack of reliable and accurate information on hazardous and toxic waste generation, sources and composition have caused critical challenges to effective hazardous and toxic waste management. It is, therefore, important to examine the status of hazardous and toxic waste as a waste stream in Botswana. By default; this mini-review article presents an overview of the current status of hazardous and toxic waste management and introduces the main challenges in hazardous and toxic waste management. Moreover, the article proposes the best applicable strategies to achieve effective hazardous and toxic waste management in the future. © The Author(s) 2014.

Assessing performance of Botswana’s public hospital system: the use of the World Health Organization Health System Performance Assessment Framework

PubMed Central

Seitio-Kgokgwe, Onalenna; Gauld, Robin DC; Hill, Philip C; Barnett, Pauline

2014-01-01

Background: Very few studies have assessed performance of Botswana public hospitals. We draw from a large research study assessing performance of the Botswana Ministry of Health (MoH) to evaluate the performance of public hospital system using the World Health Organization Health Systems Performance Assessment Framework (WHO HSPAF). We aimed to evaluate performance of Botswana public hospital system; relate findings of the assessment to the potential for improvements in hospital performance; and determine the usefulness of the WHO HSPAF in assessing performance of hospital systems in a developing country. Methods: This article is based on data collected from document analysis, 54 key informants comprising senior managers and staff of the MoH (N= 40) and senior officers from stakeholder organizations (N= 14), and surveys of 42 hospital managers and 389 health workers. Data from documents and transcripts were analyzed using content and thematic analysis while data analysis for surveys was descriptive determining proportions and percentages. Results: The organizational structure of the Botswana’s public hospital system, authority and decision-making are highly centralized. Overall physical access to health services is high. However, challenges in the distribution of facilities and inpatient beds create inequities and inefficiencies. Capacity of the hospitals to deliver services is limited by inadequate resources. There are significant challenges with the quality of care. Conclusion: While Botswana invested considerably in building hospitals around the country resulting in high physical access to services, the organization and governance of the hospital system, and inadequate resources limit service delivery. The ongoing efforts to decentralize management of hospitals to district level entities should be expedited. The WHO HSPAF enabled us to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the public hospital system. Though relatively new, this approach proved useful in this study. PMID:25279380

HIV/sexually transmitted infection prevalence and sexual behavior of men who have sex with men in 3 districts of Botswana: results from the 2012 biobehavioral survey.

PubMed

Tafuma, Taurayi Adriano; Merrigan, Mike B; Okui, Lillian A; Lebelonyane, Refiletswe; Bolebantswe, Jerry; Mine, Madisa; Chishala, Samule; Moyo, Sikhulilekho; Thela, Telefo; Rajatashuvra, Adhikary

2014-08-01

Men who have sex with men (MSM) suffer significant stigma and discrimination; hence, they are reluctant to access health services. The Botswana Second National Strategic Framework for 2010-2016 stipulates the need to increase HIV prevention services for key populations as one of its prevention implementation strategies. We report here the prevalence of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and risk factors for HIV infection among MSM in Botswana. We conducted a cross-sectional survey using respondent driven sampling in 3 districts of Botswana: Gaborone, Francistown, and Kasane. Of the 454 participants recruited, most were Batswana (97.6%) with a mean age of 23.2 years (range, 18-53 years), with 74.9% aged between 20 and 29 years. The overall unadjusted HIV prevalence was 13.1% (95% confidence interval, 10.0-16.3), with 12.3%, 11.7%, and 25.9% in Gaborone, Francistown, and Kasane, respectively. Chlamydia trachomatis prevalence was higher than Neisseria gonorrhoeae in both urine and anal swabs, at 7.1% and 5.9%, respectively, versus 1.4% and 1.7%. Overall, 46.7% of respondents reported having sex with female partners. Men who have sex with men who thought they had a high chance of acquiring HIV had a significantly lower likelihood of using condom consistently than those who reported they had a lower chance of acquiring HIV (odds ratio = 0.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.2-0.7; P = 0.003). HIV prevalence of MSM was lower than what has been reported in other sub-Saharan African countries with generalized epidemics; however, their degree of participation in heterosexual sex signifies sexual networks beyond the MSM subpopulation.

Assessment of quality of water provided for wildlife in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selebatso, Moses; Maude, Glyn; Fynn, Richard W. S.

2018-06-01

Arid and semi-arid environments have low and unpredictable rainfall patterns resulting in limited availability of surface water for wildlife. In the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) wildlife populations have lost access to natural surface water through cordon fences, livestock and human encroachment along the access routes. Artificial waterholes have been developed in the reserve to compensate for this loss. However, there have not been any assessments of the quality of water provided for wildlife and how that may be contributing to populations declines in the CKGR. We assessed water quality from 12 artificial waterholes against both Botswana and international livestock standards for drinking. Overall the quality of water provided is poor and poses a health risk to both animals and humans. Eight out of twelve boreholes tested exceeded the maximum acceptable Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) limits while three and four boreholes have toxic levels of lead and arsenic, respectively. Thus, pumping ground water could have more negative than positive impacts on wildlife thus defeating the intended management purpose. Failure to provide water of acceptable quality is a major concern for wildlife management in the CKGR and it may underlie some wildlife declines in the reserve. These findings confirm that restriction of populations from natural water sources create complex management challenges, especially where safe and sustainable alternative sources are scarce. Restriction of access of the population to natural water sources by fences and provision of poor quality water could compromise the overall fitness of wildlife populations and contribute to their decline.

Home ranges of lions in the Kalahari, Botswana exhibit vast sizes and high temporal variability.

PubMed

Zehnder, André; Henley, Stephen; Weibel, Robert

2018-06-01

The central Kalahari region in Botswana is one of the few remaining ecosystems with a stable lion population. Yet, relatively little is known about the ecology of the lions there. As an entry point, home range estimations provide information about the space utilization of the studied animals. The home ranges of eight lions in this region were determined to investigate their spatial overlaps and spatiotemporal variations. We found that, except for MCP, all home range estimators yielded comparable results regarding size and shape. The home ranges of all individuals were located predominantly inside the protected reserves. Their areas were among the largest known for lions with 1131 - 4314km 2 (95%), with no significant differences between males and females. Numerous overlaps between lions of different sexes were detected, although these originate from different groups. A distance chart confirmed that most of these lions directly encountered each other once or several times. Strong temporal variations of the home ranges were observed that did not match a seasonal pattern. The exceptionally large home ranges are likely to be caused by the sparse and dynamic prey populations. Since the ungulates in the study area move in an opportunistic way, too, strong spatiotemporal home range variations emerge. This can lead to misleading home ranges. We therefore recommend clarifying the stability of the home ranges by applying several levels of temporal aggregation. The lack of strict territoriality is likely an adaptation to the variable prey base and the high energetic costs associated with defending a large area. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Sedimentology of the Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic (?) Mosolotsane Formation (Karoo Supergroup), Kalahari Karoo Basin, Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bordy, Emese M.; Segwabe, Tebogo; Makuke, Bonno

2010-08-01

The Mosolotsane Formation (Lebung Group, Karoo Supergroup) in the Kalahari Karoo Basin of Botswana is a scantly exposed, terrestrial red bed succession which is lithologically correlated with the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic Molteno and Elliot Formations (Karoo Supergroup) in South Africa. New evidence derived from field observations and borehole data via sedimentary facies analysis allowed the assessment of the facies characteristics, distribution and thickness variation as well as palaeo-current directions and sediment composition, and resulted in the palaeo-environmental reconstruction of this poorly known unit. Our results show that the Mosolotsane Formation was deposited in a relatively low-sinuosity meandering river system that drained in a possibly semi-arid environment. Sandstone petrography revealed mainly quartz-rich arenites that were derived from a continental block provenance dominated by metamorphic and/or igneous rocks. Palaeo-flow measurements indicate reasonably strong, unidirectional current patterns with mean flow directions from southeast and east-southeast to northwest and west-northwest. Regional thickness and facies distributions as well as palaeo-drainage indicators suggest that the main depocenter of the Mosolotsane Formation was in the central part of the Kalahari Karoo Basin. Separated from this main depocenter by a west-northwest - east-southeast trending elevated area, an additional depocenter was situated in the north-northeast part of the basin and probably formed part of the Mid-Zambezi Karoo Basin. In addition, data also suggests that further northeast-southwest trending uplands probably existed in the northwest and east, the latter separating the main Kalahari Karoo depocenter from the Tuli Basin.

Why companies should intervene: a case study of the costs of HIV / AIDS to employers. Economic impact: Southern Africa.

PubMed

Greener, R

1998-04-01

5 member companies of the Botswana Business Coalition on AIDS (BBCA) in the manufacturing, transport, distribution, and finance sectors participated in a pilot study of the impact of HIV/AIDS upon companies in Botswana. The study was conducted on behalf of the Botswana National Task Force on AIDS in the Workplace, and involved both management and employee teams from the participating companies. While HIV is usually not spread in the course of work, company characteristics such as having a mobile, well-paid work force, poor housing, or a high community HIV prevalence may increase employees' susceptibility to contracting and transmitting HIV. Companies' susceptibility to the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic was assessed through interviews with management and employees. The transport sector was at highest risk, while the finance sector was at lowest risk. Assessing the HIV/AIDS impact, lost labor time due to sick leave, the costs of other benefits, future HIV/AIDS cases and health costs, and regional comparisons of the HIV/AIDS impact are considered. The most significant HIV/AIDS-related cost to the businesses in this study is the cost of lost work time due to employee illness.

An advocacy project for multicultural education: The case of the Shiyeyi language in Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyati-Saleshando, Lydia

2011-12-01

Multicultural education respects cultural differences and affirms pluralism which students, their communities and teachers bring to the learning process. It is founded on the belief that a school curriculum which promotes the ideals of freedom, justice, equality, equity and human dignity is most likely to result in high academic achievement and quality education. In Botswana, English is the official language and medium of instruction and Setswana is the national lingua franca which is used for formal occasions in the villages and other informal settings. Any other languages spoken by unrecognised tribes are banned from use in schools or the media, including minority languages taught before independence in 1966, This paper describes the Shiyeyi Language Project, initiated by the Wayeyi tribe, which advocates for a multicultural model of education where children learn in their mother tongue and about their local culture at an early stage, then add the national language, and eventually an international language as medium of instruction. The project operates within an unfriendly political and legal context, but has achieved some results. Continued efforts, especially as supported by similar language projects, have the potential to change the situation in Botswana.

The use of culturally themed HIV messages and their implications for future behaviour change communication campaigns: the case of Botswana.

PubMed

Ntshebe, O; Pitso, J M N; Segobye, A K

2006-08-01

The 'ABC' approach promoted at the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Botswana has failed to yield significant behaviour change. Formative research was conducted in urban, semi-urban and rural areas to explore how the use of sociocultural messages depicted in posters elicited people's response to HIV/AIDS-related behaviours. The research interrogated values and practices underpinning Tswana philosophy in relation to parent-child communication, voluntary counselling and testing, condom use and faithfulness. A total of 206 individuals aged 15 - 49 years were purposively interviewed. The results showed that this campaign was perceived as an activation of positive Batswana culture to modify harmful norms, values and social practices, drawing upon those cultural aspects favouring more positive behaviour. We conclude that behaviour change communication should promote links to cultural values and principles. This can be achieved by: communication in other languages in order to reach all groups in Botswana; providing opportunities for venturing into other ways of communicating HIV/AIDS messages to Batswana in light of literacy skills; and using communication media that is developed on the basis of cultural approaches and focuses on segmented population groups.

Procamallanus (Procamallanus) spp. (Nematoda: Camallanidae) in fishes of the Okavango River, Botswana, including the description of P. (P.) pseudolaeviconchus n. sp. parasitic in Clarias spp. (Clariidae) from Botswana and Egypt.

PubMed

Moravec, František; Van As, Liesl L

2015-02-01

Parasitological dissections of fishes from the Okavango River, Botswana, revealed the presence of nematodes of the subgenus Procamallanus (Procamallanus) Baylis, 1923 in five fish species belonging to three different families. Based on light and scanning electron microscopical examinations, they proved to represent one previously known and one new species, i.e. P. (P.) laeviconchus (Wedl, 1861) from Synodontis nigromaculatus Boulenger, S. thamalakanensis Fowler (new host) (both Mochokidae) and Schilbe intermedius Rüppel (new host) (Schilbeidae), and P. (P.) pseudolaeviconchus n. sp. from Clarias stappersi Boulenger and C. theodorae Weber (both Clariidae). Specimens of the new species previously collected from Clarias gariepinus (Burchell) (type-host) in Egypt were also examined. Both of these nematode species are very similar, differing from each other mainly in the shape of the circumoral flange, which is conspicuously lobed in P. laeviconchus and unlobed in P. pseudolaeviconchus. Previously, these two species have been confused in the literature under the name P. laeviconchus. A key to Procamallanus (Procamallanus) spp. parasitising freshwater fishes in Africa, including Madagascar, is provided.

Low back pain among school teachers in Botswana, prevalence and risk factors.

PubMed

Erick, Patience N; Smith, Derek R

2014-10-30

Although low back pain (LBP) represents a common occupational problem, few epidemiological studies have investigated the prevalence and risk factors for LBP among school teachers, particularly in Africa. School teachers are known to represent an occupational group among which there appears to be a high prevalence of LBP. The objective of this study was, therefore, to conduct one of the first epidemiological investigations of LBP among teachers in Botswana. A cross-sectional study was conducted among teachers in Botswana using self-administered questionnaires which were distributed to 3100 randomly selected school teachers and collected over a five-month period between July and November 2012. The questionnaire included low back pain information, demographic data, lifestyle, work-related characteristics and psychosocial factors. Data were analysed using Chi-squared and logistic regression models. The 12 month prevalence and LBP disability and associated risk factors were also analysed. A total of 1747 teachers returned completed questionnaires, yielding a response rate of 56.3%. The 12-month prevalence of LBP was 55.7%, with 67.1% of them reporting minimal disability. The results of logistic regression analysis revealed that female gender [OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.14-2.00] and previous back injury [OR: 9.67, 95% CI: 4.94-18.93] were positively correlated to LBP. Awkward arm position [OR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.24-2.62] and high psychological job demands [OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.02-1.93] were also significantly associated with LBP. Regular physical exercise was negatively associated with LBP [OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.43-0.93]. Female gender [OR: 2.67, 95% CI: 1.52-3.99] and previous back injury [OR: 3.01, 95% CI: 1.92-4.74] were also positively associated with LBP disability. The prevalence of LBP appears to be high among school teachers in Botswana. A wide variety of LBP risk factors were identified in this study. Female gender and previous injury were both associated with LBP presence and disability. The complex nature of LBP risk factors found in this study suggests than no single specific preventative or intervention strategy will help in reducing these conditions. As such, to help reduce the prevalence, progression and burden of LBP among Botswana teachers, a greater emphasis should now be placed on ergonomics education, regular physical exercise and occupational stress.

Length of secondary schooling and risk of HIV infection in Botswana: evidence from a natural experiment.

PubMed

De Neve, Jan-Walter; Fink, Günther; Subramanian, S V; Moyo, Sikhulile; Bor, Jacob

2015-08-01

An estimated 2·1 million individuals are newly infected with HIV every year. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have reported conflicting evidence for the association between education and HIV risk, and no randomised trial has identified a causal effect for education on HIV incidence. We aimed to use a policy reform in secondary schooling in Botswana to identify the causal effect of length of schooling on new HIV infection. Data for HIV biomarkers and demographics were obtained from the nationally representative household 2004 and 2008 Botswana AIDS Impact Surveys (N=7018). In 1996, Botswana reformed the grade structure of secondary school, expanding access to grade ten and increasing educational attainment for affected cohorts. Using exposure to the policy reform as an instrumental variable, we used two-stage least squares to estimate the causal effect of years of schooling on the cumulative probability that an individual contracted HIV up to their age at the time of the survey. We also assessed the cost-effectiveness of secondary schooling as an HIV prevention intervention in comparison to other established interventions. Each additional year of secondary schooling caused by the policy change led to an absolute reduction in the cumulative risk of HIV infection of 8·1 percentage points (p=0·008), relative to a baseline prevalence of 25·5% in the pre-reform 1980 birth cohort. Effects were particularly large in women (11·6 percentage points, p=0·046). Results were robust to a wide array of sensitivity analyses. Secondary school was cost effective as an HIV prevention intervention by standard metrics (cost per HIV infection averted was US$27 753). Additional years of secondary schooling had a large protective effect against HIV risk in Botswana, particularly for women. Increasing progression through secondary school could be a cost-effective HIV prevention measure in HIV-endemic settings, in addition to yielding other societal benefits. Takemi Program in International Health at the Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health, Belgian American Educational Foundation, Fernand Lazard Foundation, Boston University, National Institutes of Health. Copyright © 2015 De Neve et al. Open access article distributed under the terms of CC BY. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Overcoming barriers in evaluating outbreaks of diarrheal disease in resource poor settings: assessment of recurrent outbreaks in Chobe District, Botswana

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Diarrheal illness remains a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, with the majority of deaths occurring in children <5 years of age. Lack of resources often prohibits the evaluation of outbreak characteristics and limits progress in managing this important disease syndrome, particularly in Africa. Relying only on existing medical staff and hospital resources, we assess the use of a questionnaire survey tool to identify baseline outbreak characteristics during recurrent diarrheal outbreaks in Chobe, Botswana. Methods Using historical surveillance data (2006–2009), the temporal pattern of recurrent diarrheal outbreaks was evaluated among patients <5 years of age presenting to health facilities in Chobe District. Using a questionnaire survey tool, medical staff from selected health facilities assessed patients (all ages) presenting with diarrheal disease during two diarrheal outbreaks (2011–2012). Cluster analysis and classification and regression trees (CART) were used to evaluate patient attributes by outbreak. Results We identified a bimodal, annual pattern of acute diarrhea in children <5 years of age across years (Wilcox test, W = 456.5, p = 0.052). Historical outbreak periods appeared to coincide with major hydrological phenomena (rainfall/flood recession). Across health facilities, a significant percent of patients in the prospective study were in the ≥5 age class (44%, n = 515 and 35%, n = 333 in the dry and wet season outbreaks, respectively). Cluster analysis of questionnaire data identified two main branches associated with patient age (<5 and ≥5 years of age). Patients did not cluster by outbreak or village. CART examination identified sex and hospitalization as being most predictive of patients <5 years and household diarrhea in patients ≥5 years. Water shortages and water quality deficiencies were identified in both outbreaks. Conclusions Diarrhea is a persistent, seasonally occurring disease in Chobe District, Botswana. Lack of variation in outbreak variables suggests the possibility of environmental drivers influencing outbreak dynamics and the potential importance of human-environmental linkages in this region. Public health strategy should be directed at securing improved water service and correcting water quality deficiencies. Public health education should include increased emphasis on sanitation practices when providing care to household members with diarrhea. While global diarrheal disease surveillance is directed at the under-5 age group, this may not be appropriate in areas of high HIV prevalence such as that found in our study area where a large immune-compromised population may warrant increased surveillance across age groups. The approach used in this study provided the first detailed characterization of diarrheal disease outbreaks in the area, an important starting point for immediate intervention and development of working hypotheses for future disease investigations. While data derived from this approach are necessarily limited, they identify critical information on outbreak characteristics in resource poor settings where data gaps continue and disease incidence is high. PMID:23971427

Geomorphology and reflectance patterns of vegetation-covered dunes at the Tsodilo Hills, north-west Botswana

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobberger, P. A.; Hooper, D. M.

1991-01-01

Seasonal reflectance variations in semigrid environments provide a means of assessing vegetation health and density as well as monitoring landform processes. Multitemporal Landsat Thematic Mapper scenes with field measurements are used to map geomorphology and vegetation density in a stabilized dune environment and to measure seasonal reflectance changes for a series of ten geomorphological and vegetation units on the Kalahari-age linear dunes. Units were chosen based on differences in landform and proportion of trees, forbs and bare soil. Reflectance curves and normalized-difference vegetation indices (NDVI) show that dune crests have the strongest seasonal variability in color and brightness. The geomorphological link with reflectance and NDVI values are linked to biomass production and zoning of vegetation with slope, drainage and subtle soil differences.

Gender power imbalance on women's capacity to negotiate self-protection against HIV/AIDS in Botswana and South Africa.

PubMed

Langen, Tabitha T

2005-09-01

Gender power imbalance, which translates into a power imbalance in sexual interactions, is increasingly being recognized as a factor in fueling the spread of HIV/AIDS by increasing the number of unsafe sexual encounters. To examine the influence of gender power imbalance and other factors on women's capacity to negotiate self protection against HIV infection; as well as men's response to the suggested condom use. Drawing on data gathered from 2658 women aged 18-49 years in a cross-sectional survey in Kwa Zulu Natal Province of South Africa and Botswana, the study used descriptive statistics and logistic regression to reveal a number of gender related factors that significantly affect women's ability to protect themselves against HIV infection. Gender power imbalance significantly affects women's ability to suggest condom use to their partners. The study showed that it is women with partners 10 or more years older than them, abused women, and those economically dependent on their partners who are less likely to suggest condom use to their partners. Gender power imbalance also influences men's inclination towards refusing to use the suggested condom. The study showed that men are more likely to refuse to use the condom when the age difference between them and their female partners is wide, if they are in a married relationship, and where there is no communication about HIV/AIDS between them and their partners. What is more disturbing is the finding that it is men with multiple partners who are significantly more likely to refuse to use the condom. Across all levels of society, there is a need to see a social paradigm shift that transforms relationships between women and men, from the one of inequality and dominance as is the case in patriarchal societies, to equality, respect and consideration for one another.

"Not here": making the spaces and subjects of "global health" in Botswana.

PubMed

Brada, Betsey

2011-06-01

This essay argues that what makes "global health" "global" has more to do with configurations of space and time, and the claims to expertise and moral stances these configurations make possible, than with the geographical distribution of medical experts or the universal, if also uneven, distribution of threats to health. Drawing on a study of public-private partnerships supporting Botswana's HIV/AIDS treatment program, this essay demonstrates ethnographically the processes by which "global health" and its quintessential spaces, namely "resource-limited" or "resource-poor settings," are constituted, reinforced, and contested in the context of medical education and medical practice in Botswana's largest hospital. Using Silverstein's work on orders of indexicality, I argue that the terms of "global health" are best understood as chronotopic, and demonstrate how actors orient themselves and others spatio-temporally, morally, and professionally by using or refuting those terms. I conclude by arguing that taking "global health" on its own terms obscures the powerful forces by which it becomes intelligible. At stake are the frames within which medical anthropologists understand their objects of study, as well as the potential for the spaces of "global health" intervention to expand ever outward as American medical personnel attempt to calibrate their experiences to their expectations.

Cervical Cancer Awareness and Screening in Botswana

PubMed Central

Mingo, Alicea M.; Panozzo, Catherine A.; DiAngi, Yumi Taylor; Smith, Jennifer S.; Steenhoff, Andrew P.; Ramogola-Masire, Doreen; Brewer, Noel T.

2012-01-01

Objective Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of death in many developing countries due to limited screening by Papanicolaou (Pap) smear. We sought to better understand women’s beliefs about cervical cancer and screening in Botswana, a middle income African country with high rates of cervical cancer. Methods We interviewed 289 women attending general medicine or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinics, where Pap testing was available, in Gaborone, Botswana in January 2009. Results About three-quarters (72%) of respondents reported having ever had a Pap smear. HIV-positive women were more likely to have had a Pap smear than HIV-negative women (80% vs. 64%, OR=1.97, 95% CI: 1.10, 3.55). Screening was also more common among women who were older, had higher incomes, or had heard of cervical cancer. Almost all participants reported a desire to have a Pap smear. Reasons included to determine cervical health (56%), to improve overall health (33%), and to obtain early treatment (34%). About half (54%) of respondents said they did not know what causes cervical cancer, and almost none attributed the disease to HPV infection. Conclusion Study findings can inform interventions that seek to increase cervical cancer awareness and uptake of screening as it becomes more widely available. PMID:22367370

Pediatric Cerebral Palsy in Botswana: Etiology, Outcomes, and Comorbidities

PubMed Central

Bearden, David R.; Monokwane, Baphaleng; Khurana, Esha; Baier, James; Baranov, Esther; Westmoreland, Kate; Mazhani, Loeto; Steenhoff, Andrew P.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of motor dysfunction in children worldwide and is often accompanied by multiple comorbidities. Although cerebral palsy has been studied extensively in high-resource settings, there are few published studies on cerebral palsy etiology, outcomes and comorbidities in low-resource settings. METHODS Children with cerebral palsy were prospectively enrolled from inpatient and outpatient settings at a referral center in Gaborone, Botswana, in a cross-sectional study conducted from 2013 to 2014. Cerebral palsy etiology, outcomes, and comorbidities were determined through caregiver interviews, review of medical records, and direct physical examination. RESULTS Sixty-eight children with cerebral palsy were enrolled. Subjects were 41% male, with a median age of 4 years (interquartile range = 2 to 7). The most common etiologies for cerebral palsy in our cohort were intrapartum hypoxic events (18%), postnatal infections (15%), prematurity (15%), focal ischemic strokes (10%), and prenatal infections (10%). Severe motor impairment was common, with the most severe category present in 41%. The predominant comorbidities were cognitive impairment (84%), epilepsy (77%), and visual impairment (46%). CONCLUSIONS Cerebral palsy in Botswana has different etiologies and is associated with poorer outcomes and higher prevalence of comorbidities than what has been reported in high-resource settings. Further studies are necessary to determine optimal preventative and treatment strategies in this population. PMID:27114082

Economic accounting of water: The Botswana experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setlhogile, T.; Arntzen, J.; Pule, O. B.

2017-08-01

Water accounts aim to capture the value of water resources and their use within the economy. The accounts complement the National Accounts as the latter's main indicator (GDP) does not reflect changes in natural capital. Botswana developed water accounts for the period 2010/11-2014/15 using the UN's standard System of Environmental Economic Accounting for water (SEEA-water). The article focuses both on the construction of physical flow accounts as well as on the policy implications for development planning and water resource management through the use of policy indicators. It also shows long-term trends in water abstraction and water use efficiency linking the SEEA water accounts with results of earlier (non-SEEA) water accounting projects in Botswana. The water accounts results show that water abstraction and consumption have been largely stable since 2010/11 despite population (1.9% p.a.) and economic growth (around 5% p.a.) likely due to a combination of water sector reforms and drought conditions in south eastern Botswana; the latter led to the drying up of several dams and the imposition of severe water restrictions. While public attention focuses mostly on water service providers, self-providers (mines and the agricultural sector) account for more than 50% of total water abstracted from the environment of water, demonstrating the need to pay more attention to self-providers in IWRM implementation. Water consumption is highest for the agricultural sector (70.2 Mm3) followed by households and mines at 41.2 and 39 Mm3 respectively in 2014/15. In terms of water use efficiency, value added per m3 has increased in time, showing (some) decoupling of water consumption and economic growth. This positive trend needs to be enhanced in the pursuit of economic diversification, which should focus on growth of water-efficient economic sectors. Finally, per capita water consumption has decreased over time; while this may indicate that people conserve water, it may also point at delivery problems associated with water sector reforms. This requires further analysis.

Awareness and practices of contraceptive use among university students in Botswana.

PubMed

Hoque, M E; Ntsipe, T; Mokgatle-Nthabu, M

2013-01-01

In Botswana, unplanned pregnancies, especially among the youth constitutes a growing health and social problem. Research in the field of contraceptive practices, and the causes of sexual practices in Botswana, remains scarce and relatively limited. The objectives of this study was to investigate the awareness and utilization of various contraceptive methods, among university students in Botswana. A descriptive, cross-sectional, research study was conducted among 346 randomly selected students, who completed confidential, self-administered questionnaires. The average age of the respondents was 21 years (SD = 2.8 years). The level of awareness among students regarding contraception was good (score ≥9). Both the male and the female students had almost similar awareness level of contraceptive use, as their mean scores were 8.79 and 8.72, respectively (p = .733). All the female students (100%) were 'aware' that the effectiveness of the contraceptives used, as compared to male students, being 93.7%. A greater proportion of the female students (90.6%) knew that using contraceptives irregularly would result in pregnancy, in contrast to 76.4% males. More than half (59.0%) of the students indicated that they had engaged in sexual acts. Significantly, more male students (68.5%) had sexual experiences prior to the study, compared to 54.5% of their female counterparts (p = .038).The majority of the students (76%) reported that they had always used contraceptive methods. The most commonly used contraceptive method was the condom (95.6%), followed by oral contraceptive pill (86.7%). There was no significant association found between the level of awareness and the use of contraceptives. Results suggested that many students still engaged in risky, contraceptive practices by engaging in unprotected sexual acts. Therefore, there is a need to educate the students about sexually transmitted infections, the different contraceptive methods and the regular use of the available contraceptives.

Tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) exposure, anti-TAPS policies, and students' smoking behavior in Botswana and South Africa.

PubMed

English, Lorna McLeod; Hsia, Jason; Malarcher, Ann

2016-10-01

We examined the change over time in tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship exposure and the concurrent changes in cigarette smoking behavior among students age 13 to 15years in two African countries with different anti-tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship policies. In South Africa, anti-tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship policies became more comprehensive over time and were more strictly enforced, whereas the partial anti-tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship policies adopted in Botswana were weakly enforced. We analyzed two rounds of Global Youth Tobacco Survey data from South Africa (1999, n=2342; 2011, n=3713) and in Botswana (2001, n=1073; 2008, n=1605). We assessed several indicators of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship exposure along with prevalence of current cigarette smoking and smoking susceptibility for each data round. Logistic regression was used to examine changes over time in tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship exposure and smoking behavior in both countries. Between 1999 and 2011, South African students' exposure to tobacco advertising and sponsorship decreased significantly by 16% (p value, <0.0001) and 14% (p value, <0.0001), respectively. Exposure to tobacco promotion was lower and did not decrease significantly. Botswanan students' tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship exposure did not change significantly between 2001 and 2008. South African students' prevalence of cigarette smoking decreased over time (OR, 0.68) as did susceptibility to smoking (OR, 0.75), but declines did not remain significant after adjusting for parents' and friends' smoking. In Botswana, students' prevalence of cigarette smoking increased significantly over time (OR, 1.84), as did susceptibility to smoking (OR, 2.71). Enforcement of strong anti-tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship policies is a vital component of effective tobacco control programs in Africa. Such regulations, if effectively implemented, can reduce tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship exposure among adolescents and may influence cigarette smoking behavior. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The impact of access to immunization information on vaccine acceptance in three countries

PubMed Central

Handy, Lori K.; Maroudi, Stefania; Powell, Maura; Nfila, Bakanuki; Moser, Charlotte; Japa, Ingrid; Monyatsi, Ndibo; Tzortzi, Elena; Kouzeli, Ismini; Luberti, Anthony; Theodoridou, Maria; Offit, Paul; Steenhoff, Andrew; Shea, Judy A.; Feemster, Kristen A.

2017-01-01

Introduction Vaccine acceptance is a critical component of sustainable immunization programs, yet rates of vaccine hesitancy are rising. Increased access to misinformation through media and anti-vaccine advocacy is an important contributor to hesitancy in the United States and other high-income nations with robust immunization programs. Little is known about the content and effect of information sources on attitudes toward vaccination in settings with rapidly changing or unstable immunization programs. Objective The objective of this study was to explore knowledge and attitudes regarding vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases among caregivers and immunization providers in Botswana, the Dominican Republic, and Greece and examine how access to information impacts reported vaccine acceptance. Methods We conducted 37 focus groups and 14 semi-structured interviews with 96 providers and 153 caregivers in Botswana, the Dominican Republic, and Greece. Focus groups were conducted in Setswana, English, Spanish, or Greek; digitally recorded; and transcribed. Transcripts were translated into English, coded in qualitative data analysis software (NVivo 10, QSR International, Melbourne, Australia), and analyzed for common themes. Results Dominant themes in all three countries included identification of health care providers or medical literature as the primary source of vaccine information, yet participants reported insufficient communication about vaccines was available. Comments about level of trust in the health care system and government contrasted between sites, with the highest level of trust reported in Botswana but lower levels of trust in Greece. Conclusions In Botswana, the Dominican Republic, and Greece, participants expressed reliance on health care providers for information and demonstrated a need for more communication about vaccines. Trust in the government and health care system influenced vaccine acceptance differently in each country, demonstrating the need for country-specific data that focus on vaccine acceptance to fully understand which drivers can be leveraged to improve implementation of immunization programs. PMID:28771485

Reassuring Birth Outcomes With Tenofovir/Emtricitabine/Efavirenz Used for Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in Botswana.

PubMed

Zash, Rebecca; Souda, Sajini; Chen, Jennifer Y; Binda, Kelebogile; Dryden-Peterson, Scott; Lockman, Shahin; Mmalane, Mompati; Makhema, Joseph; Essex, Max; Shapiro, Roger

2016-04-01

Before introduction of tenofovir/emtricitabine/efavirenz (TDF/FTC/EFV), 3-drug antiretroviral therapy (ART) was associated with increased adverse birth outcomes when used for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) in Botswana. We extracted obstetric records from all women at the 2 largest maternities in Botswana from 2009-2011 when Botswana National Guidelines recommended zidovudine (ZDV) from 28 weeks gestational age (GA) for CD4 ≥350 and ART for CD4 <350, and again in 2013-2014 after implementation of TDF/FTC/EFV for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission regardless of CD4 or GA. We compared the use of TDF/FTC/EFV in pregnancy with other 3-drug ART regimens, and with initiation of ZDV, among women with similar CD4 cell counts. Outcomes included small for gestational age (SGA), preterm delivery (PTD) (<37 weeks GA), and stillbirths (SB). Among 9445 HIV-infected women delivering during the study period, 170 were on TDF/FTC/EFV at conception and 1468 initiated TDF/FTC/EFV during pregnancy. Adverse birth outcomes were high overall (3% SB, 21% PTD, and 18% SGA) and among women receiving TDF/FTC/EFV (3% SB, 22% PTD, and 12% SGA). There was no difference in PTD or SB among women initiating TDF/FTC/EFV compared with ZDV or other 3-drug ART, but initiating TDF/FTC/EFV was associated with fewer SGA infants than other 3-drug ART (adjusted odds ratio: 0.4, 95% confidence interval: 0.2 to 0.7). Adverse birth outcomes remain high among HIV-infected women. TDF/FTC/EFV was at least as safe as other ART and associated with fewer SGA infants when initiated during pregnancy. Larger studies are needed to evaluate birth outcomes and congenital abnormalities among women on TDF/FTC/EFV at conception.

Analysis: AIDS and the private sector. Tolerance at work will soften epidemic's impact.

PubMed

Barese, P

1995-06-01

With a population of only 1.3 million, Botswana relies heavily upon imported skilled labor and management. Officially, all forms of discrimination based upon a citizen's HIV/AIDS status are illegal in Botswana. The government, however, screens all expatriates considered for contractual jobs with the state, and does not employ HIV-seropositive candidates. Recent government efforts to train local people to replace expatriates and diversify and expand the economy by supporting local business and encouraging foreign investment may, however, be seriously jeopardized by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The development and implementation of prevention and coping strategies, especially at the workplace, have been slow even though AIDS-in-the-Workplace program materials, including videos, posters, brochures, and condoms, are provided free of charge. The lack of a clear understanding by senior management of the legal and financial ramifications of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is one reason for the widespread nonuse by companies of the materials. AIDSCAP in Botswana recently reviewed the activities of four companies which had, however, developed model AIDS-in-the-Workplace programs. Three of the companies chose a peer education model, holding regular formal education sessions as well as informal small group sessions run by peer educators. The peer educators have as much time during their work day as they need to work upon HIV/AIDS activities. The other company has a health department which holds a formal prevention education session for all employees yearly, while clinics in the on-site employee housing complex provide continuous information on women's health, prenatal and infant care as it relates to HIV/AIDS, and negotiating safer sex. Management reports that employees seem to have responded well to the programs, but changing their attitudes toward infected colleagues is proving more difficult. The author notes that managers over time will also have to begin thinking about training, promotion, absenteeism, and benefits as the epidemic progresses. Furthermore, the Debswana Mining Company is attributed with having the best HIV/AIDS workplace program in Botswana.

Awareness and practices of contraceptive use among university students in Botswana

PubMed Central

Hoque, M.E.; Ntsipe, T.; Mokgatle-Nthabu, M.

2014-01-01

In Botswana, unplanned pregnancies, especially among the youth constitutes a growing health and social problem. Research in the field of contraceptive practices, and the causes of sexual practices in Botswana, remains scarce and relatively limited. The objectives of this study was to investigate the awareness and utilization of various contraceptive methods, among university students in Botswana. A descriptive, cross-sectional, research study was conducted among 346 randomly selected students, who completed confidential, self-administered questionnaires. The average age of the respondents was 21 years (SD = 2.8 years). The level of awareness among students regarding contraception was good (score ≥9). Both the male and the female students had almost similar awareness level of contraceptive use, as their mean scores were 8.79 and 8.72, respectively (p = .733). All the female students (100%) were ‘aware’ that the effectiveness of the contraceptives used, as compared to male students, being 93.7%. A greater proportion of the female students (90.6%) knew that using contraceptives irregularly would result in pregnancy, in contrast to 76.4% males. More than half (59.0%) of the students indicated that they had engaged in sexual acts. Significantly, more male students (68.5%) had sexual experiences prior to the study, compared to 54.5% of their female counterparts (p = .038). The majority of the students (76%) reported that they had always used contraceptive methods. The most commonly used contraceptive method was the condom (95.6%), followed by oral contraceptive pill (86.7%). There was no significant association found between the level of awareness and the use of contraceptives. Results suggested that many students still engaged in risky, contraceptive practices by engaging in unprotected sexual acts. Therefore, there is a need to educate the students about sexually transmitted infections, the different contraceptive methods and the regular use of the available contraceptives. PMID:24405283

Recent trends in fertility in Botswana.

PubMed

Diamond, I; Rutenberg, N

1995-01-01

The argument is made that fertility decline in rural Botswana during the 1980s could be a response to the extremely harsh economic conditions resulting from the sustained drought. The drought may have contributed to greater separation of spouses and increased the openness of the population to integrated maternal and child health (MCH) and family planning programs. Migration to urban areas was accompanied by housing shortages, which occurred because of a moratorium on construction to conserve water and crowding that could have reduced urban fertility. Supplementary feeding programs for children aged under five years were only available at MCH centers. The impact of the drought on men's resources may have reduced available resources for paying "bogadi" and thus delayed childbearing and marriage. Agricultural relief programs may have contributed to men's longer stays on arable land and thus delayed marriage. Women in female headed households, which are large in number in Botswana, and unmarried women may have chosen to adopt contraception due to limited resources for supporting children. Period declines in fertility are described. The total fertility rate is 4.9 children per woman, and cumulative fertility among women aged 45-49 is only 5.8, which suggests the presence of a fertility decline in Botswana. Knowledge and awareness of modern methods of contraception is high (95%), as is unmet need for contraception. 45% of women in union desired a delay or a stop to childbearing. Trends suggest a further decline in births to 4.5 within five years. High rates of teenage pregnancy and discontinued schooling are trends which suggest higher or sustained high fertility. Family life education in schools has not yet had an impact on fertility. High fertility may be maintained by the high proportion of visiting unions and a high ideal family size. Contraceptive use has increased, but discontinuation rates are also high. Reduced migration to South Africa could increase fertility due to the reuniting of couples. Future declines in fertility are considered to be dependent upon the success of the family planning program.

Shift work and age as interactive predictors of body mass index among offshore workers.

PubMed

Parkes, Katharine R

2002-02-01

This study investigated shift pattern (day shifts versus day-night rotation) and its interactions with age, and with years of shiftwork exposure, as predictors of body mass index (BMI). Survey data were collected from offshore personnel working day shifts (N=787) or day-night shifts (N=787); information was obtained about shift pattern and years of shiftwork exposure, height, weight, demographic factors, and smoking habits. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to test a model in which BMI was predicted by additive and interactive effects of shift pattern, age, and exposure years with control for confounding variables. In a multivariate analysis (controlling for job type, education and smoking), BMI was predicted by the main effects of age and years of shiftwork exposure. Shift pattern was not significant as a main effect, but it interacted significantly with the curvilinear age term and with the linear and curvilinear components of shiftwork exposure. In the day shift group, age but not exposure predicted BMI; the opposite was true of the day-night shift group. The increase in BMI with an increase in age and exposure years was steeper for the day-night shift group than for the day shift group. The significant interaction effects found in this study were consistent with the view that continued exposure to day-night shift work gives rise to increases in BMI, over and above the normative effects of ageing on BMI shown by day-shift workers.

Transcriptional analysis of the conidiation pattern shift of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum in response to different nutrients.

PubMed

Wang, Zhenglong; Jin, Kai; Xia, Yuxian

2016-08-09

Most fungi, including entomopathogenic fungi, have two different conidiation patterns, normal and microcycle conidiation, under different culture conditions, eg, in media containing different nutrients. However, the mechanisms underlying the conidiation pattern shift are poorly understood. In this study, Metarhizium acridum undergoing microcycle conidiation on sucrose yeast extract agar (SYA) medium shifted to normal conidiation when the medium was supplemented with sucrose, nitrate, or phosphate. By linking changes in nutrients with the conidiation pattern shift and transcriptional changes, we obtained conidiation pattern shift libraries by Solexa/Illumina deep-sequencing technology. A comparative analysis demonstrated that the expression of 137 genes was up-regulated during the shift to normal conidiation, while the expression of 436 genes was up-regulated at the microcycle conidiation stage. A comparison of subtractive libraries revealed that 83, 216, and 168 genes were related to sucrose-induced, nitrate-induced, and phosphate-induced conidiation pattern shifts, respectively. The expression of 217 genes whose expression was specific to microcycle conidiation was further analyzed by the gene expression profiling via multigene concatemers method using mRNA isolated from M. acridum grown on SYA and the four normal conidiation media. The expression of 142 genes was confirmed to be up-regulated on standard SYA medium. Of these 142 genes, 101 encode hypothetical proteins or proteins of unknown function, and only 41 genes encode proteins with putative functions. Of these 41 genes, 18 are related to cell growth, 10 are related to cell proliferation, three are related to the cell cycle, three are related to cell differentiation, two are related to cell wall synthesis, two are related to cell division, and seven have other functions. These results indicate that the conidiation pattern shift in M. acridum mainly results from changes in cell growth and proliferation. The results indicate that M. acridum shifts conidiation pattern from microcycle conidiation to normal conidiation when there is increased sucrose, nitrate, or phosphate in the medium during microcycle conidiation. The regulation of conidiation patterning is a complex process involving the cell cycle and metabolism of M. acridum. This study provides essential information about the molecular mechanism of the induction of the conidiation pattern shift by single nutrients.

The impact of shift work on eating patterns and self-care strategies utilised by experienced and inexperienced nurses.

PubMed

Gifkins, Jane; Johnston, Amy; Loudoun, Rebecca

2018-05-08

For nurses, shift work is a necessity, required to provide 24-h continuous care for patients. Research posits that fatigue amongst shift-working nurses is associated with inadequate and poorly timed sleep and also strongly influenced by the timing, quality and quantity of food consumed. The aim of this investigation was to examine differences and similarities in the food choices and eating patterns of nurses exposed to different lengths of time in shift work, as a means of understanding how nurses can adapt their eating patterns to better manage fatigue and sleep loss. Qualitative methodology was utilised to study and capture in-depth information about nurses' daily working lives. A case study approach allowed for the investigation of nurses with limited and extensive experience of shift work. Increased food craving, caffeine consumption and snacking behaviours during night shifts were described by both groups of nurses, as was the inability to drink enough fluids at work. Meal skipping at work, associated with high workload, was detailed more by experienced nurses. Experienced nurses described shopping and preparing home cooked meals in advance to manage food intake and associated fatigue, contrasting with patterns from inexperienced nurses. Experienced nurses recounted drinking alcohol as a way to rest and recover from shift work, unlike their less inexperienced colleagues. These findings indicate organisational and work place issues such as shift work and rostering influence the food choices and eating patterns of shift-working nurses. Experienced nurses, however, draw on a greater range of strategies around diet and eating patterns to minimise these impacts.

15 CFR 2013.1 - Designations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Bahrain Barbados Belize Botswana Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Fiji Gabon Grenada Guatemala Honduras Jamaica Malaysia Malta Mauritius Morocco Namibia Panama...

15 CFR 2013.1 - Designations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Bahrain Barbados Belize Botswana Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Fiji Gabon Grenada Guatemala Honduras Jamaica Malaysia Malta Mauritius Morocco Namibia Panama...

Exploring responses to transformative group therapy for orphaned children in the context of mass orphaning in Botswana.

PubMed

Thamuku, Masego; Daniel, Marguerite

2013-01-01

In the context of AIDS, the Botswana Government has adopted a group therapy program to help large numbers of orphaned children cope with bereavement. This study explores the effectiveness of the therapy and examines how it interacts with cultural attitudes and practices concerning death. Ten orphaned children were involved in five rounds of data collection during a therapeutic retreat; eight social workers completed questionnaires concerning the effectiveness of the therapy. Most children were able to come to terms with their loss, face problems in their home and school environments, and envision ways of solving problems. All the children described benefits of group formation and the support it would provide when they returned to their home situations.

Pre-colonial culture, post-colonial economic success? The Tswana and the African economic miracle.

PubMed

Hjort, Jonas

2010-01-01

Cultural explanations of economic phenomena have recently enjoyed a renaissance among economists. This article provides further evidence for the salience of culture through an in-depth case study of one of the fastest-growing economies in the world during the last 50 years-Botswana. The unique culture that developed among the Tswana before and during the early days of colonialism, which shared many features with those of western nation-states, appears to have contributed significantly to the factors widely seen as determinants of Botswana's post-colonial economic success: state legitimacy, good governance and democracy, commercial traditions, well-established property rights, and inter-ethnic unity. Neighbouring Southern African cultures typically did not exhibit these traits.

Sleep and autonomic nervous system changes - enhanced cardiac sympathetic modulations during sleep in permanent night shift nurses.

PubMed

Chung, Min-Huey; Kuo, Terry B J; Hsu, Nanly; Chu, Hsin; Chou, Kuei-Ru; Yang, Cheryl C H

2009-05-01

Disturbed sleep is the most common problem among the many health-related effects of shift work, with shift workers clearly having higher rates of cardiac disorders. However, the possible mechanism underlying the related health effects of shift work has yet to be examined. Consequently, this study aimed to explore the influence of long-term night shift work on the sleep patterns of nurses and their cardiac autonomic nervous system during sleep. Our sample comprised ten permanent night shift and ten regular morning shift nurses. Nurses slept in their dormitory where they were allowed to sleep and wake spontaneously. All sleep parameters were digitized using an ambulatory polysomnographic recorder. Using sleep patterns and heart rate variability, the day- and nighttime sleep of permanent night shift nurses were compared with the nighttime sleep of regular morning shift nurses. Compared with the nighttime sleep of regular morning shift nurses, the pattern of daytime sleep of permanent night shift nurses showed significantly lower sleep onset latency. Permanent night shift nurses' daytime sleep also had greater proportions of Stage 3 and 4 (deep sleep), and arousal index than recorded during their nighttime sleep. Both the low frequency and low to high frequency ratio of the nighttime sleep of night shift nurses were significantly higher during periods of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep than the nighttime sleep of morning shift workers. In addition, the electroencephalography delta-power of the nighttime sleep of night shift nurses was significantly lower during the first NREM episode sleep than those of both the daytime sleep of night shift workers and the nighttime sleep of morning shift nurses. Permanent night shift nurses have higher sympathetic activity during nighttime sleep than regular morning shift nurses. Night shift working may have effects on the sleeping patterns of nurses in the long run, inducing higher cardiac sympathetic regulation.

Changes in resident attitudes towards tourism development and conservation in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.

PubMed

Mbaiwa, Joseph E; Stronza, Amanda L

2011-08-01

Negative attitudes of resident communities towards conservation are associated with resource decline in developing countries. In Botswana, Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) was adopted to address this challenge. CBNRM links rural development and conservation. However, the impact of CBNRM on changes of resident attitudes towards conservation and tourism is not adequately researched. This paper, therefore, assesses the impacts of CBNRM on resident attitudes towards tourism development and conservation in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. The study purposively sampled villages of Khwai, Mababe and Sankoyo. Household data using variables like: economic benefits from CBNRM; level of satisfaction with CBNRM; co-management of natural resources between resident communities and government agencies; and collective action was collected. This data was supplemented by secondary and ethnographic data. Using qualitative and quantitative analysis, results indicate changes in resident attitudes from being negative to positive towards tourism and conservation. These changes are triggered by economic benefits residents derived from CBNRM, co-management in resource management; and, collective action of communities in CBNRM development. Positive attitudes towards conservation and tourism are the first building blocks towards achieving conservation in nature-based tourism destinations. As a result, decision-makers should give priority to CBNRM and use it as a tool to achieve conservation and improved livelihoods in nature-based tourism destinations of developing countries. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heavy metal distribution in soils near Palapye, Botswana: An evaluation of the environmental impact of coal mining and combustion on soils in a semi-arid region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhai, M.; Totolo, O.; Modisi, M.P.; Finkelman, R.B.; Kelesitse, S.M.; Menyatso, M.

2009-01-01

Morupule Colliery near Palapye in eastern Botswana is the only coalmine in production in Botswana at present. Its coal is mainly used in the nearby coal-fired Morupule Power Station, which generates approximately 1,000 GWh of electricity per annum. After more than 30 years mining and more than 20 years of combustion, the sedimentation of outlet fly ash from the Morupule Power Station has increased concentrations of Cr, Ni, Zn and As by 13, 2.5, 16 and 5 ppm, respectively, in the fine portion (<53 ??m) of surface soils for approximately 9 km downwind. Elements that have higher concentrations in coal have stronger small-particle association during coal combustion and are less mobile in surface soils, thus showing stronger contaminations in surface soils around the coal-fired plant. Although the degree of contamination of Cr, Ni, Zn and As from coal combustion in the Palapye area at present is low, it is necessary to monitor concentrations of these elements in surface soils routinely in the future. This study also reveals moderate Pb and Zn contaminations in the Palapye area. The former is due to the use of leaded petroleum in motor vehicle traffic and the latter is mainly due to the use of galvanized iron sheets in construction. ?? 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Wildlife Abundance and Diversity as Indicators of Tourism Potential in Northern Botswana.

PubMed

Winterbach, Christiaan W; Whitesell, Carolyn; Somers, Michael J

2015-01-01

Wildlife tourism can provide economic incentives for conservation. Due to the abundance of wildlife and the presence of charismatic species some areas are better suited to wildlife tourism. Our first objective was to develop criteria based on wildlife abundance and diversity to evaluate tourism potential in the Northern Conservation Zone of Botswana. Secondly we wanted to quantify and compare tourism experiences in areas with high and low tourism potential. We used aerial survey data to estimate wildlife biomass and diversity to determine tourism potential, while data from ground surveys quantified the tourist experience. Areas used for High Paying Low Volume tourism had significantly higher mean wildlife biomass and wildlife diversity than the areas avoided for this type of tourism. Only 22% of the Northern Conservation Zone has intermediate to high tourism potential. The areas with high tourism potential, as determined from the aerial survey data, provided tourists with significantly better wildlife sightings (ground surveys) than the low tourism potential areas. Even Low Paying tourism may not be economically viable in concessions that lack areas with intermediate to high tourism potential. The largest part of the Northern Conservation Zone has low tourism potential, but low tourism potential is not equal to low conservation value. Alternative conservation strategies should be developed to complement the economic incentive provided by wildlife-based tourism in Botswana.

Wildlife Abundance and Diversity as Indicators of Tourism Potential in Northern Botswana

PubMed Central

Winterbach, Christiaan W.; Whitesell, Carolyn; Somers, Michael J.

2015-01-01

Wildlife tourism can provide economic incentives for conservation. Due to the abundance of wildlife and the presence of charismatic species some areas are better suited to wildlife tourism. Our first objective was to develop criteria based on wildlife abundance and diversity to evaluate tourism potential in the Northern Conservation Zone of Botswana. Secondly we wanted to quantify and compare tourism experiences in areas with high and low tourism potential. We used aerial survey data to estimate wildlife biomass and diversity to determine tourism potential, while data from ground surveys quantified the tourist experience. Areas used for High Paying Low Volume tourism had significantly higher mean wildlife biomass and wildlife diversity than the areas avoided for this type of tourism. Only 22% of the Northern Conservation Zone has intermediate to high tourism potential. The areas with high tourism potential, as determined from the aerial survey data, provided tourists with significantly better wildlife sightings (ground surveys) than the low tourism potential areas. Even Low Paying tourism may not be economically viable in concessions that lack areas with intermediate to high tourism potential. The largest part of the Northern Conservation Zone has low tourism potential, but low tourism potential is not equal to low conservation value. Alternative conservation strategies should be developed to complement the economic incentive provided by wildlife-based tourism in Botswana. PMID:26308859

Heavy metal distribution in soils near Palapye, Botswana: an evaluation of the environmental impact of coal mining and combustion on soils in a semi-arid region.

PubMed

Zhai, Mingzhe; Totolo, Otlogetswe; Modisi, Motsoptse P; Finkelman, Robert B; Kelesitse, Sebueng M; Menyatso, Mooketsi

2009-12-01

Morupule Colliery near Palapye in eastern Botswana is the only coalmine in production in Botswana at present. Its coal is mainly used in the nearby coal-fired Morupule Power Station, which generates approximately 1,000 GWh of electricity per annum. After more than 30 years mining and more than 20 years of combustion, the sedimentation of outlet fly ash from the Morupule Power Station has increased concentrations of Cr, Ni, Zn and As by 13, 2.5, 16 and 5 ppm, respectively, in the fine portion (<53 μm) of surface soils for approximately 9 km downwind. Elements that have higher concentrations in coal have stronger small-particle association during coal combustion and are less mobile in surface soils, thus showing stronger contaminations in surface soils around the coal-fired plant. Although the degree of contamination of Cr, Ni, Zn and As from coal combustion in the Palapye area at present is low, it is necessary to monitor concentrations of these elements in surface soils routinely in the future. This study also reveals moderate Pb and Zn contaminations in the Palapye area. The former is due to the use of leaded petroleum in motor vehicle traffic and the latter is mainly due to the use of galvanized iron sheets in construction.

Black carbon, mass and elemental measurements of airborne particles in the village of Serowe, Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moloi, K.; Chimidza, S.; Lindgren, E. Selin; Viksna, A.; Standzenieks, P.

Absorption of sunlight by sub-micron particles is an important factor in calculations of the radiation balance of the earth and thus in climate modelling. Carbon-containing particles are generally considered as the most important in this respect. Major sources of these particles are generally considered to be bio-mass burning and vehicle exhaust. In order to characterise size fractionated particulate matter in a rural village in Botswana with respect to light absorption and elemental content experiments were performed, in which simultaneous sampling was made with a dichotomous impactor and a laboratory-made sampler, made compatible with black carbon analysis by reflectometry. The dichotomous impactor was equipped with Teflon filters and the other sampler with glass fibre filters. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence was used for elemental analysis of both kinds of filters. It appeared that Teflon filters were the most suitable for the combination of mass-, elemental- and black carbon measurements. The black carbon content in coarse (2.5-10 μm) and fine (<2.5 μm) particles was determined separately and related to elemental content and emission source. The results show that the fine particle fraction in the aerosol has a much higher contribution of black particles than the coarse particle fraction. This observation is valid for the village in Botswana as well as for a typical industrialised city in Sweden, used as a reference location.

Assessing the Long-Term Health Benefits of Medical Humanitarian Civic Assistance Missions

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-03-01

7 Table 2. Botswana Health Statistics ...17 Table 3. Cameroon Health Statistics ............................................................................. 18 Table 4. Senegal Health... Statistics ................................................................................. 18 Table 5. Zimbabwe Health Statistics

Investigating Cortisol Production and Pattern as Mediators in the Relationship Between Shift Work and Cardiometabolic Risk.

PubMed

Ritonja, Jennifer; Aronson, Kristan J; Day, Andrew G; Korsiak, Jill; Tranmer, Joan

2018-05-01

Shift work is a risk factor for many diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Although the biological pathways are still unclear, it is hypothesized that cortisol disruption during night work is an intermediate. The objective of this study is to determine whether total cortisol production and cortisol pattern mediate the relationship between current shift work and cardiometabolic risk (CMR) among female hospital employees. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 326 female employees (166 rotating shift workers, 160 day workers), recruited from a hospital in Southeastern Ontario, Canada, during 2011 to 2014. Participants completed a baseline interview, questionnaire, and clinical exam. Urine samples were collected over two 24-hour periods and used to analyze creatinine-adjusted cortisol, which was then used to calculate total cortisol production (AUC G ), and pattern (AUC I ). Mediation analysis was performed to test the mediating effect of cortisol in the relationship between shift work and a continuous CMR score. Current shift work is associated with a 0.52 higher CMR score (95% CI: 0.15, 0.89), a lower cortisol output (AUC G ), and a flatter pattern (AUC I ) over a 2-day period. AUC G is a partial mediator in the relationship between shift work and CMR, whereas AUC I is not. AUC G is also associated with CMR while controlling for shift work, suggesting that lower total cortisol production is also linked to CMR in non-shift workers. Total cortisol production is a partial mediator in the relationship between rotating shift work and CMR among female hospital employees, whereas cortisol pattern is not a mediator. Copyright © 2018 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Typicality Shift in Semantic Categories as a Result of Cultural Transition: Evidence from Jewish Argentine Immigrants in Israel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shimron, Joseph; Chernitsky, Roberto

1995-01-01

Investigates changes in the internal structure of semantic categories as a result of cultural transition. Examines typicality shifts in semantic categories of Jewish Argentine immigrants in Israel. Presents a model mapping typicality shift patterns onto acculturation patterns. (HB)

Hybrid data capture for monitoring patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in urban Botswana.

PubMed

Bussmann, Hermann; Wester, C William; Ndwapi, Ndwapi; Vanderwarker, Chris; Gaolathe, Tendani; Tirelo, Geoffrey; Avalos, Ava; Moffat, Howard; Marlink, Richard G

2006-02-01

Individual patient care and programme evaluation are pivotal for the success of antiretroviral treatment programmes in resource-limited countries. While computer-aided documentation and data storage are indispensable for any large programme, several important issues need to be addressed including which data are to be collected, who collects it and how it is entered into an electronic database. We describe a patient-monitoring approach, which uses patient encounter forms (in hybrid paper + electronic format) based on optical character recognition, piloted at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana's first public highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) outpatient clinic. Our novel data capture approach collects "key" data for tracking patient and programme outcomes. It saves physician time and does not detract from clinical care.

Hybrid data capture for monitoring patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in urban Botswana.

PubMed Central

Bussmann, Hermann; Wester, C. William; Ndwapi, Ndwapi; Vanderwarker, Chris; Gaolathe, Tendani; Tirelo, Geoffrey; Avalos, Ava; Moffat, Howard; Marlink, Richard G.

2006-01-01

Individual patient care and programme evaluation are pivotal for the success of antiretroviral treatment programmes in resource-limited countries. While computer-aided documentation and data storage are indispensable for any large programme, several important issues need to be addressed including which data are to be collected, who collects it and how it is entered into an electronic database. We describe a patient-monitoring approach, which uses patient encounter forms (in hybrid paper + electronic format) based on optical character recognition, piloted at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana's first public highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) outpatient clinic. Our novel data capture approach collects "key" data for tracking patient and programme outcomes. It saves physician time and does not detract from clinical care. PMID:16501730

HIV model incorporating differential progression for treatment-naive and treatment-experienced infectives.

PubMed

Chigidi, Esther; Lungu, Edward M

2009-07-01

We formulate an HIV/AIDS deterministic model which incorporates differential infectivity and disease progression for treatment-naive and treatment-experienced HIV/AIDS infectives. To illustrate our model, we have applied it to estimate adult HIV prevalence, the HIV population, the number of new infectives and the number of AIDS deaths for Botswana for the period 1984 to 2012. It is found that the prevalence peaked in the year 2000 and the HIV population is now decreasing. We have also found that under the current conditions, the reproduction number is Rc approximately 13, which is less than the 2004 estimate of Rc approximately equal 4 by [11] and [13]. The results in this study suggest that the HAART program has yielded positive results for Botswana.

Phase retrieval from the phase-shift moiré fringe patterns in simultaneous dual-wavelength interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Jinlong; Gao, Zhishan; Bie, Shuyou; Dou, Yimeng; Ni, Ruihu; Yuan, Qun

2018-02-01

Simultaneous dual-wavelength interferometry (SDWI) could extend the measured range of each single-wavelength interferometry. The moiré fringe generated in SDWI indirectly represents the information of the measured long synthetic-wavelength ({λ }{{S}}) phase, thus the phase demodulation is rather arduous. To address this issue, we present a method to convert the moiré fringe pattern into a synthetic-wavelength interferogram (moiré to synthetic-wavelength, MTS). After the square of the moiré fringe pattern in the MTS method, the additive moiré pattern is turned into a multiplicative one. And the synthetic-wavelength interferogram could be obtained by a low-pass filtering in spectrum of the multiplicative moiré fringe pattern. Therefore, when the dual-wavelength interferometer is implemented with the π/2 phase shift at {λ }{{S}}, a sequence of synthetic-wavelength phase-shift interferograms with π/2 phase shift could be obtained after the MTS method processing on the captured moiré fringe patterns. And then the synthetic-wavelength phase could be retrieved by the conventional phase-shift algorithm. Compared with other methods in SDWI, the proposed MTS approach could reduce the restriction of the phase shift and frame numbers for the adoption of the conventional phase-shift algorithm. Following, numerical simulations are executed to evaluate the performance of the MTS method in processing time, frames of interferograms and the phase shift error compensation. And the necessary linear carrier for MTS method is less than 0.11 times of the traditional dual-wavelength spatial-domain Fourier transform method. Finally, the deviations for MTS method in experiment are 0.97% for a step with the height of 7.8 μm and 1.11% for a Fresnel lens with the step height of 6.2328 μm.

Real-Time and High-Resolution 3D Face Measurement via a Smart Active Optical Sensor.

PubMed

You, Yong; Shen, Yang; Zhang, Guocai; Xing, Xiuwen

2017-03-31

The 3D measuring range and accuracy in traditional active optical sensing, such as Fourier transform profilometry, are influenced by the zero frequency of the captured patterns. The phase-shifting technique is commonly applied to remove the zero component. However, this phase-shifting method must capture several fringe patterns with phase difference, thereby influencing the real-time performance. This study introduces a smart active optical sensor, in which a composite pattern is utilized. The composite pattern efficiently combines several phase-shifting fringes and carrier frequencies. The method can remove zero frequency by using only one pattern. Model face reconstruction and human face measurement were employed to study the validity and feasibility of this method. Results show no distinct decrease in the precision of the novel method unlike the traditional phase-shifting method. The texture mapping technique was utilized to reconstruct a nature-appearance 3D digital face.

Real-Time and High-Resolution 3D Face Measurement via a Smart Active Optical Sensor

PubMed Central

You, Yong; Shen, Yang; Zhang, Guocai; Xing, Xiuwen

2017-01-01

The 3D measuring range and accuracy in traditional active optical sensing, such as Fourier transform profilometry, are influenced by the zero frequency of the captured patterns. The phase-shifting technique is commonly applied to remove the zero component. However, this phase-shifting method must capture several fringe patterns with phase difference, thereby influencing the real-time performance. This study introduces a smart active optical sensor, in which a composite pattern is utilized. The composite pattern efficiently combines several phase-shifting fringes and carrier frequencies. The method can remove zero frequency by using only one pattern. Model face reconstruction and human face measurement were employed to study the validity and feasibility of this method. Results show no distinct decrease in the precision of the novel method unlike the traditional phase-shifting method. The texture mapping technique was utilized to reconstruct a nature-appearance 3D digital face. PMID:28362349

Meta-analysis on shift work and risks of specific obesity types.

PubMed

Sun, M; Feng, W; Wang, F; Li, P; Li, Z; Li, M; Tse, G; Vlaanderen, J; Vermeulen, R; Tse, L A

2018-01-01

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the associations between shift work patterns and risks of specific types of obesity. PubMed was searched until March 2017 for observational studies that examined the relationships between shift work patterns and obesity. Odds ratio for obesity was extracted using a fixed-effects or random-effects model. Subgroup meta-analyses were carried out for study design, specific obesity types and characteristics of shift work pattern. A total of 28 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The overall odds ratio of night shift work was 1.23 (95% confidence interval = 1.17-1.29) for risk of obesity/overweight. Cross-sectional studies showed a higher risk of 1.26 than those with the cohort design (risk ratio = 1.10). Shift workers had a higher frequency of developing abdominal obesity (odds ratio = 1.35) than other obesity types. Permanent night workers demonstrated a 29% higher risk than rotating shift workers (odds ratio 1.43 vs. 1.14). This meta-analysis confirmed the risks of night shift work for the development of overweight and obesity with a potential gradient association suggested, especially for abdominal obesity. Modification of working schedules is recommended, particularly for prolonged permanent night work. More accurate and detailed measurements on shift work patterns should be conducted in future research. © 2017 World Obesity Federation.

Female chacma baboons form strong, equitable, and enduring social bonds

PubMed Central

Beehner, Jacinta C.; Bergman, Thore J.; Crockford, Catherine; Engh, Anne L.; Moscovice, Liza R.; Wittig, Roman M.; Seyfarth, Robert M.; Cheney, Dorothy L.

2010-01-01

Analyses of the pattern of associations, social interactions, coalitions, and aggression among chacma baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus) in the Okavango Delta of Botswana over a 16-year period indicate that adult females form close, equitable, supportive, and enduring social relationships. They show strong and stable preferences for close kin, particularly their own mothers and daughters. Females also form strong attachments to unrelated females who are close to their own age and who are likely to be paternal half-sisters. Although absolute rates of aggression among kin are as high as rates of aggression among nonkin, females are more tolerant of close relatives than they are of others with whom they have comparable amounts of contact. These findings complement previous work which indicates that the strength of social bonds enhances the fitness of females in this population and support findings about the structure and function of social bonds in other primate groups. PMID:20976293

Protocol for a population-based molecular epidemiology study of tuberculosis transmission in a high HIV-burden setting: the Botswana Kopanyo study.

PubMed

Zetola, N M; Modongo, C; Moonan, P K; Click, E; Oeltmann, J E; Shepherd, J; Finlay, A

2016-05-09

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is transmitted from person to person via airborne droplet nuclei. At the community level, Mtb transmission depends on the exposure venue, infectiousness of the tuberculosis (TB) index case and the susceptibility of the index case's social network. People living with HIV infection are at high risk of TB, yet the factors associated with TB transmission within communities with high rates of TB and HIV are largely undocumented. The primary aim of the Kopanyo study is to better understand the demographic, clinical, social and geospatial factors associated with TB and multidrug-resistant TB transmission in 2 communities in Botswana, a country where 60% of all patients with TB are also infected with HIV. This manuscript describes the methods used in the Kopanyo study. The study will be conducted in greater Gaborone, which has high rates of HIV and a mobile population; and in Ghanzi, a rural community with lower prevalence of HIV infection and home to the native San population. Kopanyo aims to enrol all persons diagnosed with TB during a 4-year study period. From each participant, sputum will be cultured, and for all Mtb isolates, molecular genotyping (24-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable number of tandem repeats) will be performed. Patients with matching genotype results will be considered members of a genotype cluster, a proxy for recent transmission. Demographic, behavioural, clinical and social information will be collected by interview. Participant residence, work place, healthcare facilities visited and social gathering venues will be geocoded. We will assess relationships between these factors and cluster involvement to better plan interventions for reducing TB transmission. Ethical approval from the Independent Review Boards at the University of Pennsylvania, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Botswana Ministry of Health and University of Botswana has been obtained. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

The April 2017 M6.7 Botswana Earthquake: Implications for African Intraplate Seismicity.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardonio, B.; Calais, E.; Jolivet, R.

2017-12-01

The last decades have seen a rapidly increasing number of studies of interplate seismicity, revealing for instance the fundamental relationship between seismic and aseismic slip along plate boundary faults. To the contrary, intraplate earthquakes, occurring far from plate boundaries are still misunderstood and by far less studied. Key questions are the mechanisms through which elastic strain builds up and is released in the seismogenic crust in such contexts, in the absence of (yet) measurable intraplate strain rates. The April 2017 M6.7 Botswana earthquake was a surprise in many ways. This is the largest recorded event that struck this ordinarily seismically quiet region, West to the East-African Rift system where most of the usual southern seismicity occurs. It may also be the largest intraplate event recorded since the 1988 Tennant Creek earthquake in central Australia. No active structure can be mapped at the surface. Active extension related to the east African rifting may occur several hundreds of kilometers to the north-east with low rates of a few mm per year. Closer to the event, the Okavango delta, located at 20° of latitude and 23° of longitude is considered by some as an incipient rift with very low deformation rates, similar to a large part of the southern African continent. Interestingly, seismic activity in the area of the recent Botswana earthquake is more important than the world average intraplate activity, potentially due to rifting to the east and/or large stresses induced by lateral gradients in gravitational potential energy (this part of the world has an altitude of 1000 to 2000 m.). The aim of this study is to better constrain the tectonic setting and the dynamics of the Botswana earthquake area. To do so, we analyze a Sentinel 1 interferogram of the event to constrain the strike, dip, depth, magnitude and location of the earthquake. We also analyze continuous teleseismic signals during two months centered on the mainshock using a template matching technique to detect and relocate seismicity.

Leptospira interrogans at the human-wildlife interface in northern Botswana: a newly identified public health threat.

PubMed

Jobbins, S E; Sanderson, C E; Alexander, K A

2014-03-01

Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonosis in the world. In northern Botswana, humans live in close proximity to a diversity of wildlife and peridomestic rodents and may be exposed to a variety of zoonotic pathogens. Little is known regarding the occurrence and epidemiology of L. interrogans in Africa despite the recognized global importance of this zoonotic disease and the threat it poses to public health. In Botswana, banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) live in close proximity to humans across protected and unprotected landscapes and may be a useful sentinel species for assessing the occurrence of zoonotic organisms, such as L. interrogans. We utilized PCR to screen banded mongoose kidneys for leptospiral DNA and identified 41.5% prevalence of renal carriage of L. interrogans (exact binomial 95% CI 27.7-56.7%, n = 41). Renal carriage was also detected in one Selous' mongoose (Paracynictis selousi). This is the first published confirmation of carriage of L. interrogans in either species. This is also the first report of L. interrogans occurrence in northern Botswana and the only report of this organism in a wildlife host in the country. Pathogenic Leptospira are usually transmitted indirectly to humans through soil or water contaminated with infected urine. Other avenues, such as direct contact between humans and wildlife, as well as consumption of mongooses and other wildlife as bushmeat, may pose additional exposure risk and must be considered in public health management of this newly identified zoonotic disease threat. There is a critical need to characterize host species involvement and pathogen transmission dynamics, including human-wildlife interactions that may increase human exposure potential and infection risk. We recommend that public health strategy be modified to include sensitization of medical practitioners to the presence of L. interrogans in the region, the potential for human infection, and implementation of clinical screening. This study illustrates the need for increased focus on neglected zoonotic diseases as they present an important threat to public health. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

No Difference in Antibody Responses to Tetanus Vaccine Among HIV-Exposed and -Unexposed Infants in Botswana

PubMed Central

Smith, Christiana; Moraka, Natasha; Ibrahim, Maryanne; Moyo, Sikhulile; Mayondi, Gloria; Kammerer, Betsy; Leidner, Jean; Gaseitsiwe, Simani; Lockman, Shahin; Weinberg, Adriana

2017-01-01

Abstract Background In Botswana, more than 10% of HIV-exposed, uninfected infants (HEU) are hospitalized or die in the first 6 months of life, largely due to infectious causes. Vaccine responses can act as a marker of the immune response to infectious antigens. Previous studies of antibody responses to vaccines in HEU have had conflicting results. We compared antibody titers to tetanus vaccine between HEU and HIV-unexposed infants (HUU), and explored whether tetanus antibody titers predicted risk of hospitalization in the first 2 years of life among HEU. Methods 443 HIV-infected and 451 HIV-uninfected mothers and their 453 HEU / 457 HUU live-born infants were followed in a prospective observational study in Botswana (“Tshipidi”). Quantitative tetanus toxoid IgG was measured in plasma samples from 18-month-old infants. Geometric mean antibody titers (GMT) were compared between HEU and HUU infants, and between HEU infants who were or were not hospitalized by age 2. Results Plasma was available at 18 months for 39 HEU and 42 HUU infants. Within this subset, there were 15 hospitalizations (12 in HEU) [RR of hospitalization among HEU = 1.34 (P = 0.009)]. 73% of hospitalizations overall, and 83% in HEU, were due to infection (primarily pneumonia/bronchiolitis and gastroenteritis). Among infants who had received 3 or 4 doses of tetanus vaccine by 18 months, there were no significant differences in tetanus GMT between HEU and HUU (Fig A). Among HEU who had received 3 or 4 doses of tetanus vaccine by 18 months, there were no significant differences in tetanus GMT between infants who were hospitalized and infants who were not (Fig B). Conclusion In this small sample of infants from Botswana, we did not identify differences in antibody responses to tetanus vaccine between HEU and HUU. Although HEU demonstrated an increased risk of hospitalization, response to tetanus vaccine did not appear to be a significant predictor of morbidity. It is possible that cell-mediated immune defects play a larger role than humoral immune defects in the increased susceptibility to infection among HEU. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

A Population-Based Study on Alcohol and High-Risk Sexual Behaviors in Botswana

PubMed Central

Weiser, Sheri D; Leiter, Karen; Heisler, Michele; McFarland, Willi; Korte, Fiona Percy-de; DeMonner, Sonya M; Tlou, Sheila; Phaladze, Nthabiseng; Iacopino, Vincent; Bangsberg, David R

2006-01-01

Background In Botswana, an estimated 24% of adults ages 15–49 years are infected with HIV. While alcohol use is strongly associated with HIV infection in Africa, few population-based studies have characterized the association of alcohol use with specific high-risk sexual behaviors. Methods and Findings We conducted a cross-sectional, population-based study of 1,268 adults from five districts in Botswana using a stratified two-stage probability sample design. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess correlates of heavy alcohol consumption (>14 drinks/week for women, and >21 drinks/week for men) as a dependent variable. We also assessed gender-specific associations between alcohol use as a primary independent variable (categorized as none, moderate, problem and heavy drinking) and several risky sex outcomes including: (a) having unprotected sex with a nonmonogamous partner; (b) having multiple sexual partners; and (c) paying for or selling sex in exchange for money or other resources. Criteria for heavy drinking were met by 31% of men and 17% of women. Adjusted correlates of heavy alcohol use included male gender, intergenerational relationships (age gap ≥10 y), higher education, and living with a sexual partner. Among men, heavy alcohol use was associated with higher odds of all risky sex outcomes examined, including unprotected sex (AOR = 3.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.65 to 7.32), multiple partners (AOR = 3.08; 95% CI, 1.95 to 4.87), and paying for sex (AOR = 3.65; 95% CI, 2.58 to 12.37). Similarly, among women, heavy alcohol consumption was associated with higher odds of unprotected sex (AOR = 3.28; 95% CI, 1.71 to 6.28), multiple partners (AOR = 3.05; 95% CI, 1.83 to 5.07), and selling sex (AOR = 8.50; 95% CI, 3.41 to 21.18). A dose-response relationship was seen between alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors, with moderate drinkers at lower risk than both problem and heavy drinkers. Conclusions Alcohol use is associated with multiple risks for HIV transmission among both men and women. The findings of this study underscore the need to integrate alcohol abuse and HIV prevention efforts in Botswana and elsewhere. PMID:17032060

Evaluating institutional capacity for research ethics in Africa: a case study from Botswana.

PubMed

Hyder, Adnan A; Zafar, Waleed; Ali, Joseph; Ssekubugu, Robert; Ndebele, Paul; Kass, Nancy

2013-07-30

The increase in the volume of research conducted in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC), has brought a renewed international focus on processes for ethical conduct of research. Several programs have been initiated to strengthen the capacity for research ethics in LMIC. However, most such programs focus on individual training or development of ethics review committees. The objective of this paper is to present an approach to institutional capacity assessment in research ethics and application of this approach in the form of a case study from an institution in Africa. We adapted the Octagon model originally used by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency to assess an organization along eight domains in research ethics: basic values and identity; structure and organization; ability to carry out activities; relevance of activities to stated goals; capacity of staff and management; administrative, financing and accounting systems; its relations with target groups; and the national context. We used a mixed methods approach to collect empirical data at the University of Botswana from March to December 2010. The overall shape of the external evaluation Octagon suggests that strengths of the University of Botswana are in the areas of structure, relevance, production and identity; while the university still needs more work in the areas of systems of finance, target groups, and environment. The Octagons also show the similarities and discrepancies between the 'external' and 'internal' evaluations and provide an opportunity for exploration of these different assessments. For example, the discrepant score for 'identity' between internal and external evaluations allows for an exploration of what constitutes a strong identity for research ethics at the University of Botswana and how it can be strengthened. There is a general lack of frameworks for evaluating research ethics capacity in LMICs. We presented an approach that stresses evaluation from both internal and external perspectives. This case study highlights the university's rapid progress in developing research ethics capacity and points to some notable areas for improvement. We believe that such an empirically-driven and participatory assessment allows a more holistic measurement and promotion of institutional capacity strengthening for research ethics in LMICs.

Evaluating institutional capacity for research ethics in Africa: a case study from Botswana

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The increase in the volume of research conducted in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC), has brought a renewed international focus on processes for ethical conduct of research. Several programs have been initiated to strengthen the capacity for research ethics in LMIC. However, most such programs focus on individual training or development of ethics review committees. The objective of this paper is to present an approach to institutional capacity assessment in research ethics and application of this approach in the form of a case study from an institution in Africa. Methods We adapted the Octagon model originally used by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency to assess an organization along eight domains in research ethics: basic values and identity; structure and organization; ability to carry out activities; relevance of activities to stated goals; capacity of staff and management; administrative, financing and accounting systems; its relations with target groups; and the national context. We used a mixed methods approach to collect empirical data at the University of Botswana from March to December 2010. Results The overall shape of the external evaluation Octagon suggests that strengths of the University of Botswana are in the areas of structure, relevance, production and identity; while the university still needs more work in the areas of systems of finance, target groups, and environment. The Octagons also show the similarities and discrepancies between the 'external' and 'internal' evaluations and provide an opportunity for exploration of these different assessments. For example, the discrepant score for 'identity' between internal and external evaluations allows for an exploration of what constitutes a strong identity for research ethics at the University of Botswana and how it can be strengthened. Conclusions There is a general lack of frameworks for evaluating research ethics capacity in LMICs. We presented an approach that stresses evaluation from both internal and external perspectives. This case study highlights the university's rapid progress in developing research ethics capacity and points to some notable areas for improvement. We believe that such an empirically-driven and participatory assessment allows a more holistic measurement and promotion of institutional capacity strengthening for research ethics in LMICs. PMID:23899301

Length of secondary schooling and risk of HIV infection in Botswana: evidence from a natural experiment

PubMed Central

De Neve, Jan-Walter; Fink, Günther; Subramanian, SV; Moyo, Sikhulile; Bor, Jacob

2015-01-01

Background An estimated 2·3 Million individuals are newly infected with HIV each year. Existing cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have found conflicting evidence on the association between education and HIV risk, and no randomized experiment to date has identified a causal effect of education on HIV incidence. Methods A 1996 policy reform changed the grade structure of secondary school in Botswana and increased educational attainment. We use this reform as a ‘natural experiment’ to identify the causal effect of schooling on HIV infection. Data on HIV biomarkers and demographics were obtained from the 2004 and 2008 Botswana AIDS Impact Surveys, nationally-representative household surveys (N = 7018). The association between years of schooling and HIV status was described using multivariate OLS regression models. Using exposure to the policy reform as an instrumental variable, we estimated the causal effect of years of schooling on the cumulative probability that an individual contracted HIV up to his or her age at the time of the survey. The cost-effectiveness of secondary schooling as an HIV prevention intervention was assessed in comparison to other established interventions. Findings Each additional year of secondary schooling induced by the policy change led to an absolute reduction in the cumulative risk of HIV infection of 8·1% points (p = 0·008), relative to a baseline prevalence of 25·6%. Effects were particularly large among women (11·6% points, p = 0·046). Results were robust to a wide array of sensitivity analyses. Secondary school was cost-effective as an HIV prevention intervention by standard metrics. Interpretation Additional years of secondary schooling had a large protective effect against HIV risk, particularly for women, in Botswana. Increasing progression through secondary school may be a cost-effective HIV prevention measure in HIV-endemic settings, in addition to yielding other societal benefits. Funding Takemi Program in International Health at the Harvard School of Public Health, Belgian American Educational Foundation, and Fernand Lazard Foundation. PMID:26134875

The clinical characteristics of patients with glaucoma presenting to Botswana healthcare facilities: an observational study

PubMed Central

Jackson, Daniel J; Razai, Mohammad S; Falama, Rosemary; Mongwa, Matlhogonolo; Mutapanduwa, Mishell; Baemisi, Chao; Josiah, Engelinah; Nkomazana, Oathokwa; Lehasa, Alice; Brealey, Evelyn; White, Andrew J; Jankowski, Deborah; Kerr-Muir, Malcolm G; Martin, Keith R; Ngondi, Jeremiah M

2014-01-01

Objective This study aimed to establish the clinical characteristics of patients with glaucoma attending eye care facilities in Botswana, and management of glaucoma among patients who received care in these facilities. The study also aimed to calculate the number of new diagnoses of glaucoma within the glaucoma service. Design A prospective, hospital-based, observational study. Setting A multicentre study was undertaken in government-run eye departments in Botswana from June to August 2012. Participants All patients with a diagnosis of glaucoma attending clinics at seven study sites were invited to participate. Outcome measures Examination findings, diagnosis and management were extracted from individual patient-held medical charts. Sociodemographic characteristics, patient knowledge and understanding of glaucoma were assessed through face-to-face interviews. In addition, details of outpatient attendances for 2011 were collected from 21 government-run hospitals. Results The majority of the 366 patients interviewed had a diagnosis of primary glaucoma (86.6%). The diagnoses were mainly made by ophthalmologists (48.6%) and ophthalmic nurses (44.0%). Many patients (38.5%) had been symptomatic for over 6 months before visiting an eye clinic. The mean presenting intraocular pressure was 28.2 mm Hg (SD 11.9 mm Hg). Most follow-up patients (79.2%) had not received surgery, however, many (89.5%) would accept surgery. Only 11.5% of participants had heard of glaucoma prior to diagnosis. Many participants (35.9%) did not understand glaucoma after being diagnosed. The majority (94.9%) of living first-degree relatives had never been examined. The number of newly diagnosed glaucoma cases for 2011 in the south of the country was 14.1/100 000; 95% CI (12.0 to 16.5), in the north it was 16.2/100 000; 95% CI (13.8 to 19.0). Conclusions Glaucoma is a significant burden that presents challenges to ophthalmic services in Botswana. Many patients have limited understanding of the condition and poor access to services. There is a need to develop a treatment infrastructure to include safe surgery and a reliable supply of effective medication. PMID:25472657

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 be invaluable in bridging the current skills deficit. Introducing short courses and foundational tracks in occupational medicine for general medical practitioners would be invaluable. Copyright © 2015 Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association of salivary cortisol with chronomics of 24 hours ambulatory blood pressure/heart rate among night shift workers.

PubMed

Anjum, B; Verma, N S; Tiwari, S; Singh, R; Mahdi, A A; Singh, R B; Singh, R K

2011-08-01

Recent studies indicate a circadian rhythm in blood pressure and heart rate and its association with various neurotransmitters. In the present study, we examine the circadian nature of blood pressure/heart rate and salivary cortisol in night shift workers and whether these circadian changes produced by night shifts are reversible. Sixteen healthy nurses of both genders, aged 20-40 years, performing day and night shift duties, were randomly selected out of 22 who volunteered for this study. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was done in all the subjects and salivary cortisol levels were analyzed during both day and night shift duties. There were clinically significant changes in the Acrophase of blood pressure and cortisol levels, indicating ecphasia (odd timing of systolic blood pressure) individually during night as well as day shifts. However, this pattern was statistically not significant. A reverse pattern of Acrophase was observed in 8 out of 16 subjects when they were posted on day shift. No significant change was found in midline estimating statistics of rhythm (MESOR) of blood pressure values. Changes in Double amplitude (Predictable change) were observed in 8 subjects during night shifts as well as in 7 subjects during day shifts. However, the pattern was not similar and night workers had an altered circadian pattern in the night as well as during day shifts. Changes in Double amplitude, Acrophase and Salivary cortisol were found during night as well as day shifts but these changes were not statistically significant (p > 0.05) due to incomplete recovery during day shifts (changes again seen when they came back to day shifts). Salivary cortisol levels were lowest in early morning, increased at midnight and further increased in the afternoon during night shifts along with ecphasia. It is possible that nurses working the night shift felt more tired due to the altered circadian cycle.

Understanding of hygiene behaviour and diarrhoea in two villages in Botswana.

PubMed

Kaltenthaler, E C; Drasar, B S

1996-06-01

This paper describes a study which took place in two villages in north-east district of Botswana from July 1990 through July 1991. Qualitative data collection methods were used including: observations, key-informant interviews, focus groups, and in-depth interviews. The data were used for understanding and interpreting the cultural belief systems regarding specific hygiene behaviours and diarrhoea, with emphasis on hand washing. Hand washing was said to occur for three main reasons: to remove contamination, for social reasons, and for comfort reasons. Sources of dirt on the hands included human blood and faeces. Many perceived causes of diarrhoea were identified, including pogwana (dehydration associated with sunken anterior fontanelle). Traditional concepts regarding the treatment and prevention of diarrhoea were also identified. It is suggested that beliefs surrounding hygiene behaviour and diarrhoea should be incorporated into health education programmes.

Predictors of Depression among Seropositive Batswana Men and Women: A Descriptive Correlational Study.

PubMed

Coleman, Christopher Lance

2016-12-01

The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to describe predictors of depressive symptoms among N=70 seropositive Botswana men and women residing in Gaborne, Botswana. A demographic questionnaire, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, (CESD-D), and the SF-36 [Quality of life] were administered. The questionnaires were translated and back translated in Setswana and administered by Batswana men and women. The results of the regression analyses resulted in two calculated models. In the first Model energy/fatigue explained 46% of the variance in depressive symptoms (P=.000), and in the second Model energy/fatigue and role limitations on emotional well-being explained 50% of the variance in depressive symptoms respectively. The study findings underscore the need for mental health services for seropositive Batswana men and women. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Incorporating Geographic Information Science in the BSc Environ-mental Science Program in Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akinyemi, Felicia O.

2018-05-01

Critical human capacity in Geographic Information Science (GISc) is developed at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology, a specialized, research university. Strategies employed include GISc courses offered each semester to students from various programs, the conduct of field-based projects, enrolment in online courses, geo-spatial initiatives with external partners, and final year research projects utilizing geospatial technologies. A review is made of available GISc courses embedded in the Bachelor of Science Environmental Science program. GISc courses are incorporated in three Bachelor degree programs as distinct courses. Geospatial technologies are employed in several other courses. Student researches apply GIS and Remote Sensing methods to environmental and geological themes. The overarching goals are to equip students in various disciplines to utilize geospatial technologies, and enhance their spatial thinking and reasoning skills.

Naturally acquired anthrax antibodies in a cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) in Botswana.

PubMed

Good, Kyle M; Houser, Annmarie; Arntzen, Lorraine; Turnbull, Peter C B

2008-07-01

An outbreak of anthrax in the Jwana Game Reserve in Jwaneng, Botswana, was first observed when three cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) died of the disease in November 2004. In the aftermath of this event, banked serum samples collected from 23 wild-caught cheetahs were examined, by the inhibition enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), for antibodies to the protective antigen (PA) of Bacillus anthracis. Of the 23 cheetahs, 16 regularly accessed the reserve. Antibodies to PA were detected in one cheetah collected in May 2004, indicating the disease was occurring well before it was first noticed. This appears to be the first demonstration of naturally acquired anthrax antibodies in cheetahs. The finding of one antibody-positive animal amongst at least 16 potentially exposed individuals is consistent with existing reports that it is uncommon for cheetahs to develop natural immunity to anthrax.

Vegetation mapping from ERTS imagery of the Okavango Delta. [Botswana

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willamson, D. T.

1974-01-01

The Okavango is Botswana's major water resource. The present study has been specifically directed at mapping vegetation types within the delta and generally concerned with finding what information of value to plant and animal ecologists could be extracted from the imagery. To date it has been found that. (1) It is possible to map broad vegetation types from the imagery. (2) Imagery of the delta records the state of the system in a manner which will facilitate long-term studies of plant succession. (3) Phenological events can be detected. (4) The imagery can be used to detect and map wild fires. This will be useful in determining the role of fire in the ecology of the region. Using the imagery it is thus possible to map existing vegetation and monitor both short and long-term changes.

Normal haematology and blood biochemistry of wild Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.

PubMed

Lovely, C J; Pittman, J M; Leslie, A J

2007-09-01

Wild Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) of various size classes were captured in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Blood was collected from the post occipital sinus and used for the determination of a wide range of haematological and biochemical parameters. These values were compared between the sexes and between 3 size classes. The values were also compared with the limited data available from farmed Nile crocodiles, as well as from other wild Nile crocodiles. The Okavango crocodiles were comparatively anaemic, and had comparatively low total protein and blood glucose levels. There was a high prevalence of Hepatozoon pettiti infection, however, there was no significant difference in haematological values between the infected and uninfected crocodiles. The values reported here will be useful in diagnostic investigations in both zoo and farmed Nile crocodiles.

An International Surgical Rotation as a Systems-Based Elective: The Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Surgical Experience.

PubMed

Cintolo-Gonzalez, Jessica A; Bedada, Alemayehu Ginbo; Morris, Jon; Azzie, Georges

2016-01-01

There is a growing need to address the global burden of surgical disease along with increasing interest in international surgical practice, necessitating an understanding of the challenges and issues that arise on a systems level when practicing abroad. This elective is a month-long rotation in which senior surgical residents participate in patient care as part of a surgical team in the main tertiary and teaching hospital in Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana. Clinical experience is combined with formal readings and educational sessions, with the attending surgeon supervising the program to develop a systems-based curriculum that contextualizes the clinical experience. A formal debriefing and written reflections by the residents at the conclusion of the rotation are used to qualitatively assess resident development and insight into systems-based international surgical practice. Princess Marina Hospital, Gaborone, Botswana. General surgery residents in their fourth clinical year of training. Our elective met important requirements outlined in the literature for foreign practice, including adequate supervision of the American trainees and care to not detract from local trainees' educational experience. Residents' debriefing and written reflections demonstrated an increased understanding of systems-based practice and awareness of issues important to successful international surgical practice and collaboration. Our global surgery elective with a focus on systems-based practice sensitizes residents to the challenges and issues they must be aware of when practicing internationally. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Treated sewage effluent (water) potential to be used for horticultural production in Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emongor, V. E.; Ramolemana, G. M.

Botswana being semi-arid and arid country, the provision of drinking water and water for agricultural production is becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. Measures that can augment the available sources of water or measures that can reduce the demand on potable water should be given serious consideration. Horticulturists have incorporated new technology into many of their production programs, which has enabled them to grow more horticultural crops with less water; however, more effort is needed. Techniques such as drip irrigation, sensors, growing plants with low water requirements, timing and scheduling of irrigation to the growth needs of the plant, mulching, and establishing a minimum water quality standard for horticultural crops must be used to stretch agricultural water supplies. Recycling agricultural water and using treated municipal sewage effluent is a viable option for increasing horticultures’ future water supply in Botswana. Agriculture wastewater and sewage effluents often contain significant quantities of heavy metals and other substances that may be toxic to people but beneficial to horticultural crops. However, before sewage effluent can be used for commercial production of vegetables and fruits, research must be undertaken to determine whether there is accumulation of heavy metals and faecal coliforms in the edible portion of the horticultural produce which may be detrimental to human health 15-20 years later. Research must be undertaken to assess the impact of sewage effluent on soil physical, chemical properties and environment after continued use.

Hospitalization and mortality among primarily nonbreastfed children during a large outbreak of diarrhea and malnutrition in Botswana, 2006.

PubMed

Creek, Tracy L; Kim, Andrea; Lu, Lydia; Bowen, Anna; Masunge, Japhter; Arvelo, Wences; Smit, Molly; Mach, Ondrej; Legwaila, Keitumetse; Motswere, Catherine; Zaks, Laurel; Finkbeiner, Thomas; Povinelli, Laura; Maruping, Maruping; Ngwaru, Gibson; Tebele, Goitebetswe; Bopp, Cheryl; Puhr, Nancy; Johnston, Stephanie P; Dasilva, Alexandre J; Bern, Caryn; Beard, R S; Davis, Margarett K

2010-01-01

In 2006, a pediatric diarrhea outbreak occurred in Botswana, coinciding with heavy rains. Surveillance recorded a 3 times increase in cases and a 25 fold increase in deaths between January and March. Botswana has high HIV prevalence among pregnant women (33.4% in 2005), and an estimated 35% of all infants under the age of 6 months are not breastfed. We followed all children <5 years old with diarrhea in the country's second largest referral hospital at the peak of the outbreak by chart review, interviewed mothers, and conducted laboratory testing for HIV and enteric pathogens. Of 153 hospitalized children with diarrhea, 97% were <2 years old; 88% of these were not breastfeeding. HIV was diagnosed in 18% of children and 64% of mothers. Cryptosporidium and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli were common; many children had multiple pathogens. Severe acute malnutrition (kwashiorkor or marasmus) developed in 38 (25%) patients, and 33 (22%) died. Kwashiorkor increased risk for death (relative risk 2.0; P = 0.05); only one breastfeeding child died. Many children who died had been undersupplied with formula. Most of the severe morbidity and mortality in this outbreak occurred in children who were HIV negative and not breastfed. Feeding and nutritional factors were the most important determinants of severe illness and death. Breastfeeding is critical to infant survival in the developing world, and support for breastfeeding among HIV-negative women, and HIV-positive women who cannot formula feed safely, may prevent further high-mortality outbreaks.

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.

Phase shifts in the Fourier spectra of phase gratings and phase grids: an application for one-shot phase-shifting interferometry.

PubMed

Toto-Arellano, Noel-Ivan; Rodriguez-Zurita, Gustavo; Meneses-Fabian, Cruz; Vazquez-Castillo, Jose F

2008-11-10

Among several techniques, phase shifting interferometry can be implemented with a grating used as a beam divider to attain several interference patterns around each diffraction order. Because each pattern has to show a different phase-shift, a suitable shifting technique must be employed. Phase gratings are attractive to perform the former task due to their higher diffraction efficiencies. But as is very well known, the Fourier coefficients of only-phase gratings are integer order Bessel functions of the first kind. The values of these real-valued functions oscillate around zero, so they can adopt negative values, thereby introducing phase shifts of pi at certain diffraction orders. Because this almost trivial fact seems to have been overlooked in the literature regarding its practical implications, in this communication such phase shifts are stressed in the description of interference patterns obtained with grating interferometers. These patterns are obtained by placing two windows in the object plane of a 4f system with a sinusoidal grating/grid in the Fourier plane. It is shown that the corresponding experimental observations of the fringe modulation, as well as the corresponding phase measurements, are all in agreement with the proposed description. A one-shot phase shifting interferometer is finally proposed taking into account these properties after proper incorporation of modulation of polarization.

Identification of the altered pyrrole in the isomeric sulfmyoglobins: hyperfine shift patterns as indicators of ring saturation in ferric chlorins.

PubMed

Chatfield, M J; La Mar, G N; Smith, K M; Leung, H K; Pandey, R K

1988-03-08

Analysis of the 1H NMR hyperfine shift patterns of isomeric sulfmyoglobins is carried out in the met-aquo and met-cyano states to determine the site of saturation in each protein. The utility of the patterns for structure elucidation is established by specific deuterium labeling of the heme methyls of the terminal base product. On the basis of the known saturation of ring B in this isomer [Chatfield, M.J., La Mar, G.N., Lecomte, J.T.J., Balch, A.L., Smith, K.M., & Langry, K.C. (1986) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 108, 7108-7110], the methyl resonance of the saturated ring is found to have strongly attenuated contact shift. Thus, the heme methyl contact shift pattern is diagnostic for the saturated pyrrole in the high-spin state. This rationale is then applied to analyze the assigned NMR spectra of the initial and terminal acid sulfmyoglobin products, revealing that the same ring B is saturated in each isomer. In contrast, the heme methyl contact shift pattern in low-spin ferric complexes reveals that the methyls both on the affected pyrrole and on the trans pyrrole are influenced similarly on sulfmyoglobin formation, precluding the use of this methyl shift pattern as a unique indicator of the site of saturation. Identification of exchangeable proximal histidine resonances for met-aquo sulfmyoglobin complexes with shifts similar to that in native myoglobin dictates inconsequential axial alterations in the sulfmyoglobins, while location of downfield meso proton resonances analogous to those of the native protein demonstrates the retention of the coordinate water in the active site of met-sulfmyoglobin.

Study of nanometer-level precise phase-shift system used in electronic speckle shearography and phase-shift pattern interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jing, Chao; Liu, Zhongling; Zhou, Ge; Zhang, Yimo

2011-11-01

The nanometer-level precise phase-shift system is designed to realize the phase-shift interferometry in electronic speckle shearography pattern interferometry. The PZT is used as driving component of phase-shift system and translation component of flexure hinge is developed to realize micro displacement of non-friction and non-clearance. Closed-loop control system is designed for high-precision micro displacement, in which embedded digital control system is developed for completing control algorithm and capacitive sensor is used as feedback part for measuring micro displacement in real time. Dynamic model and control model of the nanometer-level precise phase-shift system is analyzed, and high-precision micro displacement is realized with digital PID control algorithm on this basis. It is proved with experiments that the location precision of the precise phase-shift system to step signal of displacement is less than 2nm and the location precision to continuous signal of displacement is less than 5nm, which is satisfied with the request of the electronic speckle shearography and phase-shift pattern interferometry. The stripe images of four-step phase-shift interferometry and the final phase distributed image correlated with distortion of objects are listed in this paper to prove the validity of nanometer-level precise phase-shift system.

Spatial patterns and processes for shifting cultivation landscape in Garo Hills, India.

Treesearch

Ashish Kumar; Bruce G. Marcot; P.S. Roy

2006-01-01

We analyzed a few spatial patterns and processes of a shifting cultivation landscape in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya state in North East India, where about 85% of land belongs to native community. The landscape comprised 2459 km2 of land with forest cover and shifting cultivation patches over 69% and 7% area of landscape, respectively. The mean...

Grimm's Law: Fact or Myth?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gessman, Albert M.

1990-01-01

Discusses phonic shifting or sound shifts through an examination of Grimm's Law, or the Germanic Consonant Shift. The discussion includes comments on why the phonic shift developed and its pattern. (10 references) (GLR)

Assessment of productivity of hospitals in Botswana: a DEA application.

PubMed

Tlotlego, Naomi; Nonvignon, Justice; Sambo, Luis G; Asbu, Eyob Z; Kirigia, Joses M

2010-11-05

Botswana national health policy states that the Ministry of Health shall from time to time review and revise its organization and management structures to respond to new developments and challenges in order to achieve and sustain a high level of efficiency in the provision of health care. Even though the government clearly views assuring efficiency in the health sector as one of its leadership and governance responsibilities, to date no study has been undertaken to measure the technical efficiency of hospitals which consume the majority of health sector resources. The specific objectives of this study were to quantify the technical and scale efficiency of hospitals in Botswana, and to evaluate changes in productivity over a three year period in order to analyze changes in efficiency and technology use. DEAP software was used to analyze technical efficiency along with the DEA-based Malmquist productivity index which was applied to a sample of 21 non-teaching hospitals in the Republic of Botswana over a period of three years (2006 to 2008). The analysis revealed that 16 (76.2 percent), 16 (76.2 percent) and 13 (61.9 percent) of the 21 hospitals were run inefficiently in 2006, 2007 and 2008, with average variable returns to scale (VRS) technical efficiency scores of 70.4 percent, 74.2 percent and 76.3 percent respectively. On average, Malmquist Total Factor Productivity (MTFP) decreased by 1.5 percent. Whilst hospital efficiency increased by 3.1 percent, technical change (innovation) regressed by 4.5 percent. Efficiency change was thus attributed to an improvement in pure efficiency of 4.2 percent and a decline in scale efficiency of 1 percent. The MTFP change was the highest in 2008 (MTFP = 1.008) and the lowest in 2007 (MTFP = 0.963). The results indicate significant inefficiencies within the sample for the years under study. In 2008, taken together, the inefficient hospitals would have needed to increase the number of outpatient visits by 117627 (18 percent) and inpatient days by 49415 (13 percent) in order to reach full efficiency. Alternatively, inefficiencies could have been reduced by transferring 264 clinical staff and 39 beds to health clinics, health posts and mobile posts. The transfer of excess clinical staff to those facilities which are closest to the communities may also contribute to accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals related to child and maternal health.Nine (57.1 percent) of the 21 hospitals experienced MTFP deterioration during the three years. We found the sources of inefficiencies to be either adverse change in pure efficiency, scale efficiency and/or technical efficiency.In line with the report Health financing: A strategy for the African Region, which was adopted by the Fifty-sixth WHO Regional Committee for Africa, it might be helpful for Botswana to consider institutionalizing efficiency monitoring of health facilities within health management information systems.

Associations of long-term shift work with waking salivary cortisol concentration and patterns among police officers.

PubMed

Fekedulegn, Desta; Burchfiel, Cecil M; Violanti, John M; Hartley, Tara A; Charles, Luenda E; Andrew, Michael E; Miller, Diane B

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether long-term shift work is associated with both the total hormonal secretion after awakening and the pattern of the cortisol levels during the first hour following awakening, among 65 randomly selected police officers who represent a high stress occupation. Dominant shift (Day, Afternoon, or Midnight) was ascertained using daily payroll records of each participant's work activities during the 6-8 yrs prior to saliva sampling. Four salivary samples were collected at 15 min intervals upon first awakening. After accounting for potential confounders, salivary cortisol concentrations averaged across all four time points and total area under the curve differed significantly across shift with midnight shift workers showing suppressed awakening cortisol response relative to the afternoon and day shift. The percent of hours worked on midnight shift was inversely correlated with total awakening cortisol output. In contrast, the pattern of cortisol secretion during the first hour following waking appeared not to be affected as no significant interaction effect was found between time since awakening and shift work. The results show that long-term midnight shift work is associated with decreased absolute mean level and total volume of cortisol released over the waking period.

Associations of Long-term Shift Work with Waking Salivary Cortisol Concentration and Patterns among Police Officers

PubMed Central

FEKEDULEGN, Desta; BURCHFIEL, Cecil M.; VIOLANTI, John M.; HARTLEY, Tara A.; CHARLES, Luenda E.; ANDREW, Michael E.; MILLER, Diane B.

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether long-term shift work is associated with both the total hormonal secretion after awakening and the pattern of the cortisol levels during the first hour following awakening, among 65 randomly selected police officers who represent a high stress occupation. Dominant shift (Day, Afternoon, or Midnight) was ascertained using daily payroll records of each participant’s work activities during the 6–8 yrs prior to saliva sampling. Four salivary samples were collected at 15 min intervals upon first awakening. After accounting for potential confounders, salivary cortisol concentrations averaged across all four time points and total area under the curve differed significantly across shift with midnight shift workers showing suppressed awakening cortisol response relative to the afternoon and day shift. The percent of hours worked on midnight shift was inversely correlated with total awakening cortisol output. In contrast, the pattern of cortisol secretion during the first hour following waking appeared not to be affected as no significant interaction effect was found between time since awakening and shift work. The results show that long-term midnight shift work is associated with decreased absolute mean level and total volume of cortisol released over the waking period. PMID:23047078

Implementation of a National Workplace Wellness Program for Health Workers in Botswana

PubMed Central

Ledikwe, Jenny H.; Semo, Bazghina-werq; Sebego, Miram; Mpho, Maureen; Mothibedi, Heather; Mawandia, Shreshth; O’Malley, Gabrielle

2017-01-01

The Botswana workplace wellness program (WWP) for health care workers (HCWs) was initiated in 2007. WWP implementation was assessed using a sequential, explanatory, mixed methods design including a national implementation assessment (27 health districts) and in-depth interviews (n = 38). Level of implementation varied across districts with health screening, therapeutic recreation, and health promotion implemented more frequently than occupational health activities and psychosocial services. Facilitators to WWP implementation included establishment of a dedicated, diverse WWP committee; provision of administrative support, and integration of activities into organizational culture. Barriers included competing priorities related to delivery of health services to clients, limited technical ability to deliver occupation health activities and psychosocial support, receipt of health services from colleagues, and limited appreciation for personal wellness by some HCWs. Ensuring the well-being of HCWs is critical in reaching international health goals. PMID:28742763

Investigation of processes leading to nitrate enrichment in soils in the Kalahari Region, Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwiede, M.; Duijnisveld, W. H. M.; Böttcher, J.

In Southern Africa elevated nitrate concentrations are observed in mostly uninhabited semi-arid areas. In the Kalahari of Botswana groundwater locally exhibits concentrations up to 600 mg/l. It is assumed, that nitrate found in the groundwater originates mainly from nitrogen input and transformations in the soils. Our investigations in the Kalahari between Serowe and Orapa show that cattle raising is an important source for enhanced nitrate concentrations in the soils (Arenosols). But also in termite mounds very high nitrate stocks were found, and under natural vegetation (acacia trees and shrubs) nitrate concentrations were mostly unexpectedly high. This nitrate enrichment in the soils poses a serious threat to the groundwater quality. However, calculated soil water age distributions in the unsaturated zone clearly show that today’s nitrate pollution of the groundwater below the investigation area could originate from natural sources, but cannot be caused by the current land use for cattle raising.

The leadership characteristics of the preceptor in selected clinical practice settings in Botswana.

PubMed

Dube, A; Jooste, K

2006-08-01

A non-experimental, explorative, descriptive, quantitative study was undertaken. The purpose was to explore and describe the views of preceptors and preceptees regarding the fulfilment of the role of the preceptor in selected clinical nursing practice settings in the Botswana context. The study included 72 preceptors and 200 nursing students/preceptees who voluntary agreed voluntarily to participate in the study. A questionnaire was used to collect data, which was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of this study indicated that the preceptor lacked leadership characteristics in the accompaniment of the preceptee. These constraints included the lack of desirable characteristics such as intellectual, emotional, physical and other traits that are common to all good leaders. Recommendations were stated for improvements in selecting preceptors with certain leadership skills for the clinical practice settings. The limitations of this study were highlighted.

Constraints to implementing international agreements: the case of the Montreal Protocol in Botswana.

PubMed

Chipanshi, Aston C

2002-02-01

This study addresses the difficulties surrounding effective implementation of the Montreal Protocol in Botswana and provides a general understanding of how best we might advise policy makers when implementing international agreements in the developing world. A questionnaire survey administered to both the formal and informal users of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODSs) revealed that disseminated information on ODSs has little effect on choices that users make about refrigerant gases and this information is skewed in favor of the conventional users of ODSs. As a result, annual statistics of ODS use are probably underestimated. Difficulties exist in changing from old to new technologies in the short term due to high costs associated with the change over. The infrastructure to recover gases and to dispose of unusable hardware is absent or inadequate. Solutions to these difficulties include a comprehensive policy that caters for all users of ODSs and the integration of economic and environmental aspirations.

Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) spp. (Nematoda: Camallanidae) from fishes of the Okavango River, Botswana, including P. (S.) serranochromis n. sp. parasitic in Serranochromis spp. (Cichlidae).

PubMed

Moravec, František; Van As, Liesl L

2015-02-01

Three species of Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) Baylis, 1923 (Camallanidae) (Nematoda: Camallanidae) were found in the digestive tract of freshwater fishes from the Okavango River, Botswana, i.e. P. (S.) daleneae (Boomker, 1993) from Synodontis vanderwaali Skelton & White (Mochokidae), P. (S.) spiralis Baylis, 1923 from Clarias stappersi Boulenger, C. theodorae Weber (both Clariidae) and Hepsetus odoe (Bloch) (Hepsetidae), and P. (S.) serranochromis n. sp. from Serranochromis macrocephalus (Boulenger) (type-host), S. angusticeps (Boulenger) and S. robustus (Günther) (all Cichlidae). All findings of the two previously known species represent new host records. The specimens were studied using both light and scanning electron microscopy. Spirocamallanus mazabukae Yeh, 1957 is considered a junior synonym of P. (S.) spiralis. A key to the species of Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) parasitising fishes of continental Africa is provided.

Sexual abuse and violence among adolescent girls in Botswana: a mental health perspective.

PubMed

Seloilwe, Esther Salang; Thupayagale-Tshweneagae, Gloria

2009-07-01

The presence of sexual abuse among societies in Botswana is a phenomenon whose occurrence is usually denied albeit the police report on it and legal frameworks have been established to combat it. Several factors influence the concealment of sexual abuse among adolescent girls, which includes cultural factors and social status of the perpetrators. This paper espouses the concept of sexual abuse among adolescent girls, the existence of the problem, its magnitude, the factors that increase vulnerability to violence and abuse, and how these factors intersect with HIV and AIDS. Two case studies using a discovery method were used to explore the phenomenon under the study. The findings of the study indicated that sexual abuse and violence have profound mental health consequences including guilt, anxiety, depression and anger. Future research is suggested to explore this problem on a wider scale and develop interventions that can assist victims and perpetrators to cope with the situation.

A regional coupled surface water/groundwater model of the Okavango Delta, Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Peter; Gumbricht, Thomas; Kinzelbach, Wolfgang

2006-04-01

In the endorheic Okavango River system in southern Africa a balance between human and environmental water demands has to be achieved. The runoff generated in the humid tropical highlands of Angola flows through arid Namibia and Botswana before forming a large inland delta and eventually being consumed by evapotranspiration. With an approximate size of about 30,000 km2, the Okavango Delta is the world's largest site protected under the convention on wetlands of international importance, signed in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran. The extended wetlands of the Okavango Delta, which sustain a rich ecology, spectacular wildlife, and a first-class tourism infrastructure, depend on the combined effect of the highly seasonal runoff in the Okavango River and variable local climate. The annual fluctuations in the inflow are transformed into vast areas of seasonally inundated floodplains. Water abstraction and reservoir building in the upstream countries are expected to reduce and/or redistribute the available flows for the Okavango Delta ecosystem. To study the impacts of upstream and local interventions, a large-scale (1 km2 grid), coupled surface water/groundwater model has been developed. It is composed of a surface water flow component based on the diffusive wave approximation of the Saint-Venant equations, a groundwater component, and a relatively simple vadose zone component for calculating the net water exchange between land and atmosphere. The numerical scheme is based on the groundwater simulation software MODFLOW-96. Since the primary model output is the spatiotemporal distribution of flooded areas and since hydrologic data on the large and inaccessible floodplains and tributaries are sparse and unreliable, the model was not calibrated with point hydrographs but with a time series of flooding patterns derived from satellite imagery (NOAA advanced very high resolution radiometer). Scenarios were designed to study major upstream and local interventions and their expected impacts in the Delta. The scenarios' results can help decision makers strike a balance between environmental and human water demands in the basin.

The composition of pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) grown in Botswana.

PubMed

Amarteifio, J O; Munthali, D C; Karikari, S K; Morake, T K

2002-01-01

This study investigated the composition of pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan), grown at Sebele, Botswana. The raw seeds of six varieties were analyzed for dry matter, crude fat, protein, fiber, and ash, using Association of Official Analytical Chemists procedures. Major minerals, Ca, K, P, Mg, Na and trace minerals, Cu, Fe and Zn were also assessed. The range of nutrient contents obtained were: dry matter 86.6-88.0%, crude protein 19.0-21.7%, crude fat 1.2-1.3%, crude fiber 9.8-13.0%, and ash 3.9-4.3%. Minerals ranges (mg/100 g dry matter) were: K 1845-1941, P 163-293, Ca 120-167, Mg 113-127, Na 11.3-12.0, Zn 7.2-8.2, Fe 2.5-4.7 and Cu 1.6-1.8. There were no significant differences in Na among the six varieties (p > 0.05). For the other components, varietal differences (p < 0.05) were observed. The values obtained for the dry matter, crude protein, fat, ash, Ca, Cu, Fe, and Mg were similar to those in pigeon peas grown elsewhere, while those for crude fiber and Zn were higher. In general, the composition of pigeon peas compared favorably with those of other legumes such as Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea). The levels of crude protein, crude fiber, K, Ca, P and Mg indicated that pigeon peas could be valuable in the diet of the people of Botswana. This crop would positively contribute protein in the diet and the diversification of agricultural produce.

Wildlife resource utilisation at Moremi Game Reserve and Khwai community area in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.

PubMed

Mbaiwa, Joseph E

2005-10-01

This paper uses the concept of sustainable development to examine the utilisation of wildlife resources at Moremi Game Reserve (MGR) and Khwai community area (NG 18/19) in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Using both secondary and primary data sources, results show that the establishment of MGR in 1963 led to the displacement of Khwai residents from their land; affected Basarwa's hunting and gathering economy; marked the beginning of resource conflicts between Khwai residents and wildlife managers; and, led to the development of negative attitudes of Khwai residents towards wildlife conservation. Since the late 1980s, a predominantly foreign owned tourism industry developed in and around MGR, however, Khwai residents derive insignificant benefits from it and hence resource conflicts increased. In an attempt to address problems of resource conflicts and promote sustainable wildlife utilisation, the Botswana Government adopted the Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme, which started operating at Khwai village in 2000. The CBNRM programme promotes local participation in natural resource management and rural development through tourism. It is beginning to have benefits to Khwai residents such as income generation, employment opportunities and local participation in wildlife management. These benefits from CBNRM are thus having an impact in the development of positive attitudes of Khwai residents towards wildlife conservation and tourism development. This paper argues that if extended to MGR, CBNRM has the potential of minimising wildlife conflicts between Khwai residents and the wildlife-tourism sectors. This approach may in the process promote the sustainable wildlife use in and around MGR.

Human Rights Violations among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Southern Africa: Comparisons between Legal Contexts

PubMed Central

Zahn, Ryan; Grosso, Ashley; Scheibe, Andrew; Bekker, Linda-Gail; Ketende, Sosthenes; Dausab, Friedel; Iipinge, Scholastica; Beyrer, Chris; Trapance, Gift; Baral, Stefan

2016-01-01

In 1994, South Africa approved a constitution providing freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation. Other Southern African countries, including Botswana, Malawi, and Namibia, criminalize same-sex behavior. Men who have sex with men (MSM) have been shown to experience high levels of stigma and discrimination, increasing their vulnerability to negative health and other outcomes. This paper examines the relationship between criminalization of same-sex behavior and experiences of human rights abuses by MSM. It compares the extent to which MSM in peri-urban Cape Town experience human rights abuses with that of MSM in Gaborone, Botswana; Blantyre and Lilongwe, Malawi; and Windhoek, Namibia. In 2008, 737 MSM participated in a cross-sectional study using a structured survey collecting data regarding demographics, human rights, HIV status, and risk behavior. Participants accrued in each site were compared using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Encouragingly, the results indicate MSM in Cape Town were more likely to disclose their sexual orientation to family or healthcare workers and less likely to be blackmailed or feel afraid in their communities than MSM in Botswana, Malawi, or Namibia. However, South African MSM were not statistically significantly less likely experience a human rights abuse than their peers in cities in other study countries, showing that while legal protections may reduce experiences of certain abuses, legislative changes alone are insufficient for protecting MSM. A comprehensive approach with interventions at multiple levels in multiple sectors is needed to create the legal and social change necessary to address attitudes, discrimination, and violence affecting MSM. PMID:26764467

Translating a National Laboratory Strategic Plan into action through SLMTA in a district hospital laboratory in Botswana.

PubMed

Ntshambiwa, Keoratile; Ntabe-Jagwer, Winnie; Kefilwe, Chandapiwa; Samuel, Fredrick; Moyo, Sikhulile

2014-01-01

The Ministry of Health (MOH) of Botswana adopted Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA), a structured quality improvement programme, as a key tool for the implementation of quality management systems in its public health laboratories. Coupled with focused mentorship, this programme aimed to help MOH achieve the goals of the National Laboratory Strategic Plan to provide quality and timely clinical diagnoses. This article describes the impact of implementing SLMTA in Sekgoma Memorial Hospital Laboratory (SMHL) in Serowe, Botswana. SLMTA implementation in SMHL included trainings, improvement projects, site visits and focused mentorship. To measure progress, audits using the Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) checklist were conducted at baseline and exit of the programme, with scores corresponding to a zero- to five-star scale. Turnaround times, customer satisfaction, and several other health service indicators were tracked. The laboratory scored 53% (zero stars) at the baseline audit and 80% (three stars) at exit. Nearly three years later, the laboratory scored 85% (four stars) in an official audit conducted by the African Society for Laboratory Medicine. Turnaround times became shorter after SLMTA implementation, with reductions ranging 19% to 52%; overall patient satisfaction increased from 56% to 73%; and clinician satisfaction increased from 41% to 72%. Improvements in inventory management led to decreases in discarded reagents, reducing losses from US $18 000 in 2011 to $40 in 2013. The SLMTA programme contributed to enhanced performance of the laboratory, which in turn yielded potential positive impacts for patient care at the hospital.

Association between depression in carers and malnutrition in children aged 6 months to 5 years

PubMed Central

Ganiyu, Adewale B.; Firth, Jacqueline A.

2017-01-01

Background Childhood malnutrition is an important risk factor for child mortality and underlies close to 50% of child deaths worldwide. Previous studies have found an association between maternal depression and child malnutrition, but it is not known whether this association exists in Botswana. In addition, previous studies excluded non-maternal primary caregivers (PCGs). It is unclear whether the association between primary caregiver depression and child malnutrition remains when non-maternal PCGs are included. Aim The aim of this study was to determine if there is an association between PCG depression and malnutrition in children aged between 6 months and 5 years in Mahalapye, Botswana. Setting The study was conducted in the child welfare clinics of Xhosa and Airstrip clinics, two primary health care facilities in Mahalapye, Botswana. Methods This was a case control study. Cases were malnourished children aged between 6 months and 5 years, and controls were non-malnourished children matched for age and gender. The outcome of interest was depression in the PCGs of the cases and controls, which was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ 9), a depression screening tool. Results From a sample of 171 children, 84 of whom were malnourished, we found that the malnourished children were significantly more likely to have depressed PCGs (odds ratio = 4.33; 95% CI: 1.89, 9.89) than non-malnourished children in the 6-month to 5-year age group; the PCGs of malnourished children also had lower educational status. Conclusion This study found a significant association between PCG depression and child malnutrition. PMID:28155288

The role of the law in reducing tuberculosis transmission in Botswana, South Africa and Zambia

PubMed Central

Emerson, Courtney N; Lederer, Philip; Lipke, Ginny; Kapata, Nathan; Lanje, Samson; Peters, Annatjie C; Zulu, Isaac; Marston, Barbara J; Miller, Bess

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective To determine whether laws and regulations in Botswana, South Africa and Zambia – three countries with a high tuberculosis and HIV infection burden – address elements of the World Health Organization (WHO) policy on tuberculosis infection control. Methods An online desk review of laws and regulations that address six selected elements of the WHO policy on tuberculosis infection control in the three countries was conducted in November 2015 using publicly available domestic legal databases. The six elements covered: (i) national policy and legal framework; (ii) health facility design, construction and use; (iii) tuberculosis disease surveillance among health workers; (iv) patients’ and health workers’ rights; (v) monitoring of infection control measures; and (vi) relevant research. Findings The six elements were found to be adequately addressed in the three countries’ laws and regulations. In all three, tuberculosis case-reporting is required, as is tuberculosis surveillance among health workers. Each country’s legal and regulatory framework also addresses the need to respect individuals’ rights and privacy while safeguarding public health. These laws and regulations create a strong foundation for tuberculosis infection control. Although the legal and regulatory frameworks thoroughly address tuberculosis infection control, their dissemination, implementation and enforcement were not assessed, nor was their impact on public health. Conclusion Laws and regulations in Botswana, South Africa and Zambia address all six selected elements of the WHO policy on tuberculosis infection control. However, the lack of data on their implementation is a limitation. Future research should assess the implementation and public health impact of laws and regulations. PMID:27274593

Involving parents from the start: formative evaluation for a large randomised controlled trial with Botswana Junior Secondary School students.

PubMed

Vig, Jessica; Miller, Kim S; Chirwa-Motswere, Catherine; Winskell, Kate; Stallcup, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

While HIV prevention research conducted among adolescent populations may encounter parental resistance, the active engagement of parents from inception to trial completion may alleviate opposition. In preparation for implementing a large randomised controlled trial (RCT) examining the efficacy of a behavioural intervention targeting adolescent sexual risk behaviours, a formative evaluation was undertaken to assess parental reactions to the proposed trial. Six focus groups were conducted with parents of adolescents (aged 13-17) from rural, peri-urban and urban junior secondary schools in Botswana. Focus groups explored comprehension and acceptability among parents of the forthcoming trial including HSV-2 testing, the return of results to the adolescent (not the parent), trial information materials and the parental consent process. Parents welcomed the study and understood and accepted its moral and ethical considerations. Their reactions regarding return of HSV-2 results only to adolescents (not the parent) were mixed. Parents understood the consent process and most agreed to consent, while indicating their desire to remain informed and involved throughout the RCT. The focus group discussions (FGDs) provided valuable information and insights that helped strengthen the study. As a result of parents' feedback, counselling procedures were strengthened and direct linkages to local services and care were made. Informational materials were revised to increase clarity, and materials and procedures were developed to encourage and support parental involvement and parent-child dialogue. Ultimately, parental feedback led to a decision by the Government of Botswana to allow parents to access their child's HSV-2 test results.

Involving parents from the start: Formative evaluation for a large RCT with Botswana Junior Secondary School students

PubMed Central

Miller, Kim S.; Chirwa-Motswere, Catherine; Winskell, Kate; Stallcup, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

While HIV prevention research conducted among adolescent populations may encounter parental resistance, the active engagement of parents from inception to trial completion may alleviate opposition. In preparation for implementing a large randomized controlled trial (RCT) examining the efficacy of a behavioural intervention targeting adolescent sexual risk behaviours, a formative evaluation was undertaken to assess parental reactions to the proposed trial. Six focus groups were conducted with parents of adolescents (aged 13–17) from rural, peri-urban, and urban Botswana junior secondary schools. Focus groups explored comprehension and acceptability among parents of the forthcoming trial including HSV-2 testing, the return of results to the adolescent (not the parent), trial information materials and the parental consent process. Parents welcomed the study and understood and accepted its moral and ethical considerations. Their reactions regarding return of HSV-2 results only to adolescents (not the parent) were mixed. Parents understood the consent process and most agreed to consent, while indicating their desire to remain informed and involved throughout the RCT. The FGDs provided valuable information and insights that helped strengthen the study. As a result of parents’ feedback, counselling procedures were strengthened and direct linkages to local services and care were made. Informational materials were revised to increase clarity, and materials and procedures were developed to encourage and support parental involvement and parent-child dialogue. Ultimately, parental feedback led to a decision by the Government of Botswana to allow parents to access their child’s HSV-2 test results. PMID:27002354

The effect of purified condensed tannins of forage plants from Botswana on the free-living stages of gastrointestinal nematode parasites of livestock.

PubMed

Tibe, O; Sutherland, I A; Lesperance, L; Harding, D R K

2013-10-18

The effect of condensed tannins (CT) extracted from forage plants from Botswana on the free-living stages of a number of species of gastrointestinal nematode parasites derived from infected sheep were investigated using in vitro assays. Fresh samples of five different plants (Viscum rotundifolium, Viscum verrucosum, Tapinanthus oleifolius, Grewia flava and Ipomoea sinensis) were collected over two summers (February 2009 and 2010). Fractionation of each crude extract on a Sephadex LH-20 column yielded low molecular weight phenolics and CT-containing fractions. The effect of each purified CT fraction on parasites was evaluated using either egg hatch, larval development or larval migration inhibition assays. Three gastrointestinal nematode species (Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Teladorsagia circumcincta) derived from infected sheep were evaluated in the study. CT from V. rotundifolium and I. sinensis fractions from samples collected in 2009 and 2010 did not inhibit larval development. However, CT isolated from V. verrucosum, T. oleifolius and G. flava collected in 2009 completely inhibited the development of all parasite species. These CT fractions were more potent in inhibiting larval development of H. contortus than fractions from the same plant species collected in 2010. However, a slight effect on larval migration was observed with some CT extracts. The results suggest that CT extracts of some forage plants from Botswana have anti-parasitic properties in vitro, and that further research is required to determine any in vivo efficacy from feeding the plants to goats in a field situation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human Rights Violations among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Southern Africa: Comparisons between Legal Contexts.

PubMed

Zahn, Ryan; Grosso, Ashley; Scheibe, Andrew; Bekker, Linda-Gail; Ketende, Sosthenes; Dausab, Friedel; Iipinge, Scholastica; Beyrer, Chris; Trapance, Gift; Baral, Stefan

2016-01-01

In 1994, South Africa approved a constitution providing freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation. Other Southern African countries, including Botswana, Malawi, and Namibia, criminalize same-sex behavior. Men who have sex with men (MSM) have been shown to experience high levels of stigma and discrimination, increasing their vulnerability to negative health and other outcomes. This paper examines the relationship between criminalization of same-sex behavior and experiences of human rights abuses by MSM. It compares the extent to which MSM in peri-urban Cape Town experience human rights abuses with that of MSM in Gaborone, Botswana; Blantyre and Lilongwe, Malawi; and Windhoek, Namibia. In 2008, 737 MSM participated in a cross-sectional study using a structured survey collecting data regarding demographics, human rights, HIV status, and risk behavior. Participants accrued in each site were compared using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Encouragingly, the results indicate MSM in Cape Town were more likely to disclose their sexual orientation to family or healthcare workers and less likely to be blackmailed or feel afraid in their communities than MSM in Botswana, Malawi, or Namibia. However, South African MSM were not statistically significantly less likely experience a human rights abuse than their peers in cities in other study countries, showing that while legal protections may reduce experiences of certain abuses, legislative changes alone are insufficient for protecting MSM. A comprehensive approach with interventions at multiple levels in multiple sectors is needed to create the legal and social change necessary to address attitudes, discrimination, and violence affecting MSM.

Event segmentation and seven types of narrative discontinuity in popular movies.

PubMed

Cutting, James E

2014-06-01

Using a sample of 24 movies I investigate narrative shifts in location, characters, and time frame that do and do not align with viewer segmentations of events (scenes and subscenes) in popular movies. Taken independently these dimensions create eight categories, seven of change and one of nonchange. Data show that the more dimensions that are changed the more viewers agree on their segmentations, although the nonadditive variations across the seven change types are large and systematic. Dissolves aid segmentation but over the last 70 years they have been used less and less by filmmakers, except for two infrequent shift types. Locations and characters are strongly yoked, jointly accounting for most narrative shifts. There are also interactions of shift types over the 70-year span and across genres, as well as differences that affect the scale of the establishing shot in a new scene. In addition, several aspects of the narratives of individual movies affect the distributions of shift types. Together these results suggest that there are at least four different signatures of narrative shifts to be found in popular movies - general patterns across time, patterns of historical change, genre-specific patterns, and film-specific patterns. Copyright © 2014 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Working across Our Differences--Perspectives on Oppression.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Catherine; And Others

1993-01-01

Four narratives present perspectives of a white woman working in Botswana, a black South African man studying in Canada, a nonnative woman working in a northern Canada native community, and a Canadian aboriginal woman working with native women. (SK)

How Setswana Cultural Beliefs and Practices on Sexuality Affect Teachers' and Adolescents' Sexual Decisions, Practices, and Experiences as well as HIV/AIDS and STI Prevention in Select Botswanan Secondary Schools.

PubMed

Nleya, Paul T; Segale, Emelda

2015-01-01

The article reports on the aspects of a Botswana Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoE & SD) HIV/AIDS Instructional Television (ITV) project modeled on a similar HIV/AIDS program implemented in Brazil. This Teacher Capacity Building Project (TCBP) in Botswana is in its initial years of implementation. Its overall goal is to contribute to the prevention and mitigation of the impact of HIV and AIDS by strengthening the capacity of the education and communication sectors to deliver interactive, distance HIV/AIDS education primarily to teachers so that they act as agents of behavior change among the in-school youth. One of the components of the TCBP program is a live teacher education television HIV/AIDS program called Talk Back program. Talk Back is a collaborative effort of the MoE & SD and the Botswana national television station. The Talk Back program involves development and implementation of weekly 1 hour live HIV/AIDS education interactive TV broadcasts for teachers. The development of the live programs is guided by a curriculum that provides a wide range of themes related to HIV/AIDS and education. This article reports the results of a survey of a sample of teachers and students at junior secondary schools and senior secondary schools, first, on their views and opinions regarding the Talk Back program as a TCBP. Second, how Setswana cultural beliefs, myths, and practices on sexuality affect teachers' and adolescents' sexual decisions, practices, and experiences as well as HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infection prevention. A questionnaire survey and focus group interviews were used as data collection instruments in selected secondary schools. The findings of the study suggest that the Talk Back program has not met much success as a TCBP. The findings further suggest that several myths, beliefs, misconceptions, and attitudes about HIV/AIDS exist among Botswana teachers and students and thus make it difficult for the Talk Back program to impart the HIV/AIDS message successfully. Therefore, there is a need for more stakeholders in HIV/AIDS education, where appropriate learning techniques are used, to bring about the desired behavioral change. © The Author(s) 2013.

The clinical characteristics of patients with glaucoma presenting to Botswana healthcare facilities: an observational study.

PubMed

Jackson, Daniel J; Razai, Mohammad S; Falama, Rosemary; Mongwa, Matlhogonolo; Mutapanduwa, Mishell; Baemisi, Chao; Josiah, Engelinah; Nkomazana, Oathokwa; Lehasa, Alice; Brealey, Evelyn; White, Andrew J; Jankowski, Deborah; Kerr-Muir, Malcolm G; Martin, Keith R; Ngondi, Jeremiah M

2014-12-03

This study aimed to establish the clinical characteristics of patients with glaucoma attending eye care facilities in Botswana, and management of glaucoma among patients who received care in these facilities. The study also aimed to calculate the number of new diagnoses of glaucoma within the glaucoma service. A prospective, hospital-based, observational study. A multicentre study was undertaken in government-run eye departments in Botswana from June to August 2012. All patients with a diagnosis of glaucoma attending clinics at seven study sites were invited to participate. Examination findings, diagnosis and management were extracted from individual patient-held medical charts. Sociodemographic characteristics, patient knowledge and understanding of glaucoma were assessed through face-to-face interviews. In addition, details of outpatient attendances for 2011 were collected from 21 government-run hospitals. The majority of the 366 patients interviewed had a diagnosis of primary glaucoma (86.6%). The diagnoses were mainly made by ophthalmologists (48.6%) and ophthalmic nurses (44.0%). Many patients (38.5%) had been symptomatic for over 6 months before visiting an eye clinic. The mean presenting intraocular pressure was 28.2 mm Hg (SD 11.9 mm Hg). Most follow-up patients (79.2%) had not received surgery, however, many (89.5%) would accept surgery. Only 11.5% of participants had heard of glaucoma prior to diagnosis. Many participants (35.9%) did not understand glaucoma after being diagnosed. The majority (94.9%) of living first-degree relatives had never been examined. The number of newly diagnosed glaucoma cases for 2011 in the south of the country was 14.1/100,000; 95% CI (12.0 to 16.5), in the north it was 16.2/100,000; 95% CI (13.8 to 19.0). Glaucoma is a significant burden that presents challenges to ophthalmic services in Botswana. Many patients have limited understanding of the condition and poor access to services. There is a need to develop a treatment infrastructure to include safe surgery and a reliable supply of effective medication. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The 3 April 2017 Botswana M6.5 Earthquake: Scientific Rapid Response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Midzi, V.; Jele, V.; Kwadiba, M. T.; Mantsha, R.; Manzunzu, B.; Mulabisana, T. F.; Ntibinyane, O.; Pule, T.; Saunders, I.; Tabane, L.; van Aswegen, G.; Zulu, B. S.

2017-12-01

An earthquake of magnitude M6.5 occurred in the evening of 3 April 2017 in Central Botswana. The event was well recorded by the regional network and located by both the Council for Geoscience (CGS) and United States Geological Survey (USGS). Its effects were felt widely in southern Africa and were especially pronounced for residence of Gauteng and the North West Province. In response to these events, the CGS, together with the Botswana Geoscience Institute (BGI), embarked on two scientific projects. The first involved the quick installation of a temporary network of six seismograph stations in and around the location of the main Botswana event with the purpose of detecting and recording its aftershocks. Initially the intention had been to record the events for a period of one month, but on realizing just how active the area was it was decided to extend the period to three months. Data recorded in the first month were collected and delivered to both the CGS and BGI for processing. Currently data recorded in April 2017 after the installation of the stations has been analysed and more than 500 located aftershocks identified. All are located at the eastern edge of the Central Kalahari Park near the location of the main event in clear two clusters. The observed clusters imply that a segmented fault is the source of these earthquakes and is oriented in a NW-SE direction. The second scientific project involved a macroseismic survey to study the extent and nature of the effects of the event in southern Africa. This involved CGS and BGI scientists conducting interviews of members of the public to extract as much information as possible. Other data were collected from questionnaires submitted online by the public. In total 180 questionnaires were obtained through interviews and 141 online from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. All collected data have been analysed to produce 76 intensity data points located all over the region, with maximum intensity values of VI (according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale) observed near the epicenter. These are quite low values of intensity for such a large event, but are to be expected given that the epicentral region is in a national park which is sparsely populated.

Association of eating behaviours with diurnal preference and rotating shift work in Japanese female nurses: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Yoshizaki, Takahiro; Kawano, Yukari; Noguchi, Osamu; Onishi, Junko; Teramoto, Reiko; Sunami, Ayaka; Yokoyama, Yuri; Tada, Yuki; Hida, Azumi; Togo, Fumiharu

2016-01-01

Objectives Our study examines differences in eating behaviour between day workers and rotating shift workers, and considers whether diurnal preference could explain the differences. Methods Japanese female nurses were studied (39 day workers and 123 rotating shift workers, aged 21–63 years) using self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaires assessed eating behaviours, diurnal preference and demographic characteristics. The questionnaire in the Guidelines for the management of obesity disease issued by the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity was used to obtain scores for the levels of obesity-related eating behaviours, including cognition of constitution, motivation for eating, eating as a diversion, feeling of satiety, eating style, meal contents and temporal eating patterns. The Japanese version of the Morningness–Eveningness (ME) questionnaire was used to measure self-rated preference for the degree to which people prefer to be active in the morning or the evening (ME). Results The scores for meal contents and temporal eating patterns in rotating shift workers were significantly higher than those in day workers. The ME score of rotating shift workers was significantly lower, indicating greater eveningness/less morningness among rotating shift workers. Multivariate linear regression revealed that the ME score was significantly negatively associated with temporal eating patterns and showed a negative association with the score for meal contents at a trend level, while current work shift was not significantly correlated with the scores. Conclusions These results suggest that eating behaviours for rotating shift workers are associated with a more unbalanced diet and abnormal temporal eating patterns and that the associations may be explained by diurnal preference rather than by rotating shift work. PMID:27895063

Total error shift patterns for daily CT on rails image-guided radiotherapy to the prostate bed

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background To evaluate the daily total error shift patterns on post-prostatectomy patients undergoing image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) with a diagnostic quality computer tomography (CT) on rails system. Methods A total of 17 consecutive post-prostatectomy patients receiving adjuvant or salvage IMRT using CT-on-rails IGRT were analyzed. The prostate bed's daily total error shifts were evaluated for a total of 661 CT scans. Results In the right-left, cranial-caudal, and posterior-anterior directions, 11.5%, 9.2%, and 6.5% of the 661 scans required no position adjustments; 75.3%, 66.1%, and 56.8% required a shift of 1 - 5 mm; 11.5%, 20.9%, and 31.2% required a shift of 6 - 10 mm; and 1.7%, 3.8%, and 5.5% required a shift of more than 10 mm, respectively. There was evidence of correlation between the x and y, x and z, and y and z axes in 3, 3, and 3 of 17 patients, respectively. Univariate (ANOVA) analysis showed that the total error pattern was random in the x, y, and z axis for 10, 5, and 2 of 17 patients, respectively, and systematic for the rest. Multivariate (MANOVA) analysis showed that the (x,y), (x,z), (y,z), and (x, y, z) total error pattern was random in 5, 1, 1, and 1 of 17 patients, respectively, and systematic for the rest. Conclusions The overall daily total error shift pattern for these 17 patients simulated with an empty bladder, and treated with CT on rails IGRT was predominantly systematic. Despite this, the temporal vector trends showed complex behaviors and unpredictable changes in magnitude and direction. These findings highlight the importance of using daily IGRT in post-prostatectomy patients. PMID:22024279

Shift Schedules and Intern Work Hours, Patient Numbers, Conference Attendance, and Sleep at a Single Pediatric Residency Program.

PubMed

Kocolas, Irene; Day, Kristen; King, Marta; Stevenson, Adam; Sheng, Xiaoming; Hobson, Wendy; Bruse, Jaime; Bale, James

2017-03-01

The effects of 2011 Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) duty hour standards on intern work hours, patient load, conference attendance, and sleep have not been fully determined. We prospectively compared intern work hours, patient numbers, conference attendance, sleep duration, pattern, and quality in a 2011 ACGME duty hour-compliant shift schedule with a 2003 ACGME duty hour-compliant call schedule at a single pediatric residency program. Interns were assigned to shift or call schedules during 4 alternate months in the winter of 2010-2011. Work hours, patient numbers, conference attendance, sleep duration, pattern, and quality were tracked. Interns worked significantly fewer hours per week on day (73.2 hours) or night (71.6 hours) shifts than during q4 call (79.6 hours; P < .01). During high census months, shift schedule interns cared for significantly more patients/day (8.1/day shift vs 6.2/call; P < .001) and attended significantly fewer conferences than call schedule interns. Night shift interns slept more hours per 24-hour period than call schedule interns (7.2 ± 0.5 vs 6.3 ± 0.9 hours; P < .05) and had more consistent sleep patterns. A shift schedule resulted in reduced intern work hours and improved sleep duration and pattern. Although intern didactic conference attendance declined significantly during high census months, opportunities for experiential learning remained robust with unchanged or increased intern patient numbers. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Incubation Patterns in a Central-Place Forager Affect Lifetime Reproductive Success: Scaling of Patterns from a Foraging Bout to a Lifetime

PubMed Central

Shoji, Akiko; Elliott, Kyle H.; Aris-Brosou, Stéphane; Crump, Doug; Gaston, Anthony J.

2011-01-01

Background Long-lived seabirds face a conflict between current and lifelong reproductive success. During incubation shifts, egg neglect is sometimes necessary to avoid starvation, but may compromise the current reproductive attempt. However, factors underlying this decision process are poorly understood. We focus on the ancient murrelet, Synthliboramphus antiquus, an alcid with exceptionally long incubation shift lengths, and test the impact of environmental factors on incubation shift length in relation to reproductive success. Methodology/Principal Findings Using an information theoretic approach, we show that incubation shift length was a strong predictor of reproductive success for ancient murrelets at Reef Island, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada during the 2007 and 2008 breeding seasons. The most important factors explaining an individual's shift length were egg size, wind speed and the length of the mate's previous shift. Wind speed and tide height were the two most important factors for determining foraging behavior, as measured by dive frequency and depth. Conclusions/Significance Our study demonstrates that (i) species-specific reproductive strategies interact with environmental conditions such as wind speed to form multiple incubation patterns and (ii) maintaining regular incubation shifts is an essential component of reproductive success. PMID:21423631

Environmental hydro-refugia demonstrated by vegetation vigour in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

PubMed Central

Reynolds, S. C.; Marston, C. G.; Hassani, H.; King, G. C. P.; Bennett, M. R.

2016-01-01

Climate shifts at decadal scales can have environmental consequences, and therefore, identifying areas that act as environmental refugia is valuable in understanding future climate variability. Here we illustrate how, given appropriate geohydrology, a rift basin and its catchment can buffer vegetation response to climate signals on decadal time-scales, therefore exerting strong local environmental control. We use time-series data derived from Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) residuals that record vegetation vigour, extracted from a decadal span of MODIS images, to demonstrate hydrogeological buffering. While this has been described previously it has never been demonstrated via remote sensing and results in relative stability in vegetation vigour inside the delta, compared to that outside. As such the Delta acts as a regional hydro-refugium. This provides insight, not only to the potential impact of future climate in the region, but also demonstrates why similar basins are attractive to fauna, including our ancestors, in regions like eastern Africa. Although vertebrate evolution operates on time scales longer than decades, the sensitivity of rift wetlands to climate change has been stressed by some authors, and this work demonstrates another example of the unique properties that such basins can afford, given the right hydrological conditions. PMID:27775028

Direct Measurement of Large, Diffuse, Optical Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saif, Babak N.; Keski-Kuha, Ritva; Feinberg, Lee; Wyant, J. C.; Atkinson, C.

2004-01-01

Digital Speckle Pattern Interferometry (DSPI) is a well-established method for the measurement of diffuse objects in experimental mechanics. DSPIs are phase shifting interferometers. Three or four bucket temporal phase shifting algorithms are commonly used to provide phase shifting. These algorithms are sensitive to vibrations and can not be used to measure large optical structures far away from the interferometer. In this research a simultaneous phase shifted interferometer, PhaseCam product of 4D Technology Corporation in Tucson Arizona, is modified to be a Simultaneous phase shifted Digital Speckle Pattern Interferometer (SDSPI). Repeatability, dynamic range, and accuracy of the SDSPI are characterized by measuring a 5 cm x 5 cm carbon fiber coupon.

Shift Work, Chronotype, and Melatonin Patterns among Female Hospital Employees on Day and Night Shifts.

PubMed

Leung, Michael; Tranmer, Joan; Hung, Eleanor; Korsiak, Jill; Day, Andrew G; Aronson, Kristan J

2016-05-01

Shift work-related carcinogenesis is hypothesized to be mediated by melatonin; however, few studies have considered the potential effect modification of this underlying pathway by chronotype or specific aspects of shift work such as the number of consecutive nights in a rotation. In this study, we examined melatonin patterns in relation to shift status, stratified by chronotype and number of consecutive night shifts, and cumulative lifetime exposure to shift work. Melatonin patterns of 261 female personnel (147 fixed-day and 114 on rotations, including nights) at Kingston General Hospital were analyzed using cosinor analysis. Urine samples were collected from all voids over a 48-hour specimen collection period for measurement of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin concentrations using the Buhlmann ELISA Kit. Chronotypes were assessed using mid-sleep time (MSF) derived from the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ). Sociodemographic, health, and occupational information were collected by questionnaire. Rotational shift nurses working nights had a lower mesor and an earlier time of peak melatonin production compared to day-only workers. More pronounced differences in mesor and acrophase were seen among later chronotypes, and shift workers working ≥3 consecutive nights. Among nurses, cumulative shift work was associated with a reduction in mesor. These results suggest that evening-types and/or shift workers working ≥3 consecutive nights are more susceptible to adverse light-at-night effects, whereas long-term shift work may also chronically reduce melatonin levels. Cumulative and current exposure to shift work, including nights, affects level and timing of melatonin production, which may be related to carcinogenesis and cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(5); 830-8. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

Assembly of Associations: Communique, 2002.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett, Helle, Comp.; Brown, Gerald R., Comp.

This document reports developments in school librarianship from around the world. Reports from the following countries, regions, and organizations are included: Austria; the Australian School Library Association; the Botswana Secondary School Librarians Association; Burundi; the Association for Teacher-Librarianship in Canada; the Canadian School…

Zambia and Botswana

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-04-16

... town of Maun is at its southeastern edge. Note how the plant life, which is highly reflective in the near-infrared, shows up as bright red ... NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Terra spacecraft is managed ...

EUV phase-shifting masks and aberration monitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Yunfei; Neureuther, Andrew R.

2002-07-01

Rigorous electromagnetic simulation with TEMPEST is used to examine the use of phase-shifting masks in EUV lithography. The effects of oblique incident illumination and mask patterning by ion-mixing of multilayers are analyzed. Oblique incident illumination causes streamers at absorber edges and causes position shifting in aerial images. The diffraction waves between ion-mixed and pristine multilayers are observed. The phase-shifting caused by stepped substrates is simulated and images show that it succeeds in creation of phase-shifting effects. The diffraction process at the phase boundary is also analyzed. As an example of EUV phase-shifting masks, a coma pattern and probe based aberration monitor is simulated and aerial images are formed under different levels of coma aberration. The probe signal rises quickly as coma increases as designed.

Effect of climate change on crop production patterns with implications to transport flows and inland waterways.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-12-01

This project analyzed the demand for transportation capacity and changes in transportation flows on : inland waterways due to shifts in crop production patterns induced by climate change. Shifts in the crop : production mix have been observed in rece...

Comprehensive time average digital holographic vibrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Psota, Pavel; Lédl, Vít; Doleček, Roman; Mokrý, Pavel; Vojtíšek, Petr; Václavík, Jan

2016-12-01

This paper presents a method that simultaneously deals with drawbacks of time-average digital holography: limited measurement range, limited spatial resolution, and quantitative analysis of the measured Bessel fringe patterns. When the frequency of the reference wave is shifted by an integer multiple of frequency at which the object oscillates, the measurement range of the method can be shifted either to smaller or to larger vibration amplitudes. In addition, phase modulation of the reference wave is used to obtain a sequence of phase-modulated fringe patterns. Such fringe patterns can be combined by means of phase-shifting algorithms, and amplitudes of vibrations can be straightforwardly computed. This approach independently calculates the amplitude values in every single pixel. The frequency shift and phase modulation are realized by proper control of Bragg cells and therefore no additional hardware is required.

Observation of giant Goos-Hänchen and angular shifts at designed metasurfaces

PubMed Central

Yallapragada, Venkata Jayasurya; Ravishankar, Ajith P.; Mulay, Gajendra L.; Agarwal, Girish S.; Achanta, Venu Gopal

2016-01-01

Metasurfaces with sub-wavelength features are useful in modulating the phase, amplitude or polarization of electromagnetic fields. While several applications are reported for light manipulation and control, the sharp phase changes would be useful in enhancing the beam shifts at reflection from a metasurface. In designed periodic patterns on metal film, at surface plasmon resonance, we demonstrate Goos-Hanchen shift of the order of 70 times the incident wavelength and the angular shifts of several hundred microradians. We have designed the patterns using rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) together with S-matrices and have used a complete vector theory to calculate the shifts as well as demonstrate a versatile experimental setup to directly measure the shifts. The giant shifts demonstrated could prove to be useful in enhancing the sensitivity of experiments ranging from atomic force microscopy to gravitational wave detection. PMID:26758471

Bloodstain pattern classification: Accuracy, effect of contextual information and the role of analyst characteristics.

PubMed

Osborne, Nikola K P; Taylor, Michael C; Healey, Matthew; Zajac, Rachel

2016-03-01

It is becoming increasingly apparent that contextual information can exert a considerable influence on decisions about forensic evidence. Here, we explored accuracy and contextual influence in bloodstain pattern classification, and how these variables might relate to analyst characteristics. Thirty-nine bloodstain pattern analysts with varying degrees of experience each completed measures of compliance, decision-making style, and need for closure. Analysts then examined a bloodstain pattern without any additional contextual information, and allocated votes to listed pattern types according to favoured and less favoured classifications. Next, if they believed it would assist with their classification, analysts could request items of contextual information - from commonly encountered sources of information in bloodstain pattern analysis - and update their vote allocation. We calculated a shift score for each item of contextual information based on vote reallocation. Almost all forms of contextual information influenced decision-making, with medical findings leading to the highest shift scores. Although there was a small positive association between shift scores and the degree to which analysts displayed an intuitive decision-making style, shift scores did not vary meaningfully as a function of experience or the other characteristics measured. Almost all of the erroneous classifications were made by novice analysts. Copyright © 2016 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Identity in Africa's Internal Conflicts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deng, Francis M.

1996-01-01

Identifies and defines four models of internal ethnic conflict and discusses those conflicts within various African nations. The corresponding models and countries include Integration Model: Botswana and Somalia; Managed Diversity Model: Ghana, Cote d'Ivorie, Kenya, and Nigeria; Ambivalent Accommodation Model: Ethiopia and Djibouti; and Acute…

The Impacts of Dietary Change on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Land Use, Water Use, and Health: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Green, Rosemary; Joy, Edward J. M.; Smith, Pete; Haines, Andy

2016-01-01

Food production is a major driver of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water and land use, and dietary risk factors are contributors to non-communicable diseases. Shifts in dietary patterns can therefore potentially provide benefits for both the environment and health. However, there is uncertainty about the magnitude of these impacts, and the dietary changes necessary to achieve them. We systematically review the evidence on changes in GHG emissions, land use, and water use, from shifting current dietary intakes to environmentally sustainable dietary patterns. We find 14 common sustainable dietary patterns across reviewed studies, with reductions as high as 70–80% of GHG emissions and land use, and 50% of water use (with medians of about 20–30% for these indicators across all studies) possible by adopting sustainable dietary patterns. Reductions in environmental footprints were generally proportional to the magnitude of animal-based food restriction. Dietary shifts also yielded modest benefits in all-cause mortality risk. Our review reveals that environmental and health benefits are possible by shifting current Western diets to a variety of more sustainable dietary patterns. PMID:27812156

Highly noise-tolerant hybrid algorithm for phase retrieval from a single-shot spatial carrier fringe pattern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Zhichao; Cheng, Haobo

2018-01-01

A highly noise-tolerant hybrid algorithm (NTHA) is proposed in this study for phase retrieval from a single-shot spatial carrier fringe pattern (SCFP), which effectively combines the merits of spatial carrier phase shift method and two dimensional continuous wavelet transform (2D-CWT). NTHA firstly extracts three phase-shifted fringe patterns from the SCFP with one pixel malposition; then calculates phase gradients by subtracting the reference phase from the other two target phases, which are retrieved respectively from three phase-shifted fringe patterns by 2D-CWT; finally, reconstructs the phase map by a least square gradient integration method. Its typical characters include but not limited to: (1) doesn't require the spatial carrier to be constant; (2) the subtraction mitigates edge errors of 2D-CWT; (3) highly noise-tolerant, because not only 2D-CWT is noise-insensitive, but also the noise in the fringe pattern doesn't directly take part in the phase reconstruction as in previous hybrid algorithm. Its feasibility and performances are validated extensively by simulations and contrastive experiments to temporal phase shift method, Fourier transform and 2D-CWT methods.

Fungi, aflatoxins, and cyclopiazonic acid associated with peanut retailing in Botswana.

PubMed

Mphande, Fingani A; Siame, Bupe A; Taylor, Joanne E

2004-01-01

Peanuts are important food commodities, but they are susceptible to fungal infestation and mycotoxin contamination. Raw peanuts were purchased from retail outlets in Botswana and examined for fungi and mycotoxin (aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid) contamination. Zygomycetes were the most common fungi isolated; they accounted for 41% of all the isolates and were found on 98% of the peanut samples. Among the Zygomycetes, Absidia corymbifera and Rhizopus stolonifer were the most common. Aspergillus spp. accounted for 35% of all the isolates, with Aspergillus niger being the most prevalent (20.4%). Aspergillus flavus/parasiticus were also present and accounted for 8.5% of all the isolates, with A. flavus accounting for the majority of the A. flavus/parasiticus identified. Of the 32 isolates of A. flavus screened for mycotoxin production, 11 did not produce detectable aflatoxins, 8 produced only aflatoxins B1 and B2, and 13 produced all four aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) in varying amounts. Only 6 of the A. flavus isolates produced cyclopiazonic acid at concentrations ranging from 1 to 55 microg/kg. The one A. parasiticus isolate screened also produced all the four aflatoxins (1,200 microg/kg) but did not produce cyclopiazonic acid. When the raw peanut samples (n = 120) were analyzed for total aflatoxins, 78% contained aflatoxins at concentrations ranging from 12 to 329 microg/kg. Many of the samples (49%) contained total aflatoxins at concentrations above the 20 microg/kg limit set by the World Health Organization. Only 21% (n = 83) of the samples contained cyclopiazonic acid with concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 microg/kg. The results show that mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi are common contaminants of peanuts sold at retail in Botswana.

Depression and HIV in Botswana: a population-based study on gender-specific socioeconomic and behavioral correlates.

PubMed

Gupta, Reshma; Dandu, Madhavi; Packel, Laura; Rutherford, George; Leiter, Karen; Phaladze, Nthabiseng; Korte, Fiona Percy-de; Iacopino, Vincent; Weiser, Sheri D

2010-12-08

Depression is a leading contributor to the burden of disease worldwide, a critical barrier to HIV prevention and a common serious HIV co-morbidity. However, depression screening and treatment are limited in sub-Saharan Africa, and there are few population-level studies examining the prevalence and gender-specific factors associated with depression. We conducted a cross-sectional population-based study of 18-49 year-old adults from five districts in Botswana with the highest prevalence of HIV-infection. We examined the prevalence of depressive symptoms, using a Hopkins Symptom Checklist for Depression (HSCL-D) score of ≥ 1.75 to define depression, and correlates of depression using multivariate logistic regression stratified by sex. Of 1,268 participants surveyed, 25.3% of women and 31.4% of men had depression. Among women, lower education (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.07, 95% confidence interval [1.30-3.32]), higher income (1.77 [1.09-2.86]), and lack of control in sexual decision-making (2.35 [1.46-3.81]) were positively associated with depression. Among men, being single (1.95 [1.02-3.74]), living in a rural area (1.63 [1.02-2.65]), having frequent visits to a health provider (3.29 [1.88-5.74]), anticipated HIV stigma (fearing discrimination if HIV status was revealed) (2.04 [1.27-3.29]), and intergenerational sex (2.28 [1.17-4.41]) were independently associated with depression. Depression is highly prevalent in Botswana, and its correlates are gender-specific. Our findings suggest multiple targets for screening and prevention of depression and highlight the need to integrate mental health counseling and treatment into primary health care to decrease morbidity and improve HIV management efforts.

Associations between healthcare worker participation in workplace wellness activities and job satisfaction, occupational stress and burnout: a cross-sectional study in Botswana.

PubMed

Ledikwe, Jenny H; Kleinman, Nora Joelle; Mpho, Maureen; Mothibedi, Heather; Mawandia, Shreshth; Semo, Bazghina-Werq; O'Malley, Gabrielle

2018-03-16

Healthcare workers (HWs) are prone to high levels of stress and burnout, particularly when caring for people with HIV/AIDS. This study assessed whether participation in Botswana's Workplace Wellness Programme (WWP) for HWs was associated with job satisfaction, occupational stress, well-being and burnout. Using multistage sampling, a paper-based questionnaire was distributed to 1856 randomly selected HWs at 135 public facilities across Botswana. Well-validated scales assessed key outcomes. Analysis of covariance models were built for psychosocial factors associated with WWP participation, controlling for associated demographics. Response rate was 73% (n=1348). The majority of respondents were female (62%), not married (65%) and had children (84%). Mean age was 40.0 years (SD±9.9). Respondents were roughly split between participation in no WWP activities (29.4%), 1-6 WWP activities (38.9%) and seven or more WWP activities (31.7%) in the past year. High participation was associated with older age, being a doctor or other professional, working at hospitals or District Health Management Teams, working longer in health services or working longer at a facility. In unadjusted analyses, high participation was significantly associated (P<0.05) with higher satisfaction with overall job, work, supervision, promotion, pay and professional efficacy and lower stress, exhaustion and cynicism. All associations remained significant in controlled analyses except cynicism. Results from this study suggest that participation in workplace wellness activities is associated with higher satisfaction with multiple job facets and lower stress, exhaustion and cynicism. Introduction of these activities may help ameliorate high occupational stress levels among HWs. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

A retrospective longitudinal study of animal and human rabies in Botswana 1989-2006.

PubMed

Moagabo, K T; Monyame, K B; Baipoledi, E K; Letshwenyo, M; Mapitse, N; Hyera, J M K

2009-12-01

A longitudinal study of animal and human rabies covering 18 years from 1989 to 2006 was retrospectively conducted in order to highlight the epidemiological features and trends of the disease in Botswana. Over the 18-year period, a total of 4 306 brain specimens collected from various species of animals including human beings with clinical signs consistent with rabies were submitted to the National Veterinary Laboratory in Gaborone for confirmatory diagnosis. Of the samples submitted, 2419 cases were found to be positive for lyssavirus antigen; this presents an overall prevalence rate of 56.18 +/- 1.48%. About 85.7% (2 074/2 419) of the cases were from domestic animals, 14.2% (343/2 419) cases were from wild animals and two cases (0.1%) were from human beings. During the first half of the study (1989-1997) the prevalence rate of the disease was estimated at 62.79 +/- 1.85% (1645/2620 positive) whereas during the second half (1998-2006) it was estimated at 45.91 +/- 2.38% (774/1686 positive) and the difference between the two estimates was statistically, highly significant (delta % = 16.88, SE(95) diff % = 3.015, SD = 5.599; P < 0.001). Ruminant rabies accounted for 79.99% (50.92% bovine, 928.40% caprine and 0.67% ovine) whereas canine (domestic dog) and feline (domestic cat) accounted for 16.01 and 0.87%, respectively. Equine rabies accounted for 3.13% with 1.35 and 1.78%, respectively, for horses and donkeys. Jackal rabies accounted for more than 60% of the total cases in wild animals. These findings are discussed in relation to the previous epidemiological situation of the disease (1979-1988), its socio-economic impact, monitoring and control in Botswana.

Risk Factors for Malnutrition Among Children With Cerebral Palsy in Botswana.

PubMed

Johnson, Allison; Gambrah-Sampaney, Claudia; Khurana, Esha; Baier, James; Baranov, Esther; Monokwane, Baphaleng; Bearden, David R

2017-05-01

Children with cerebral palsy in low-resource settings are at high risk of malnutrition, which further increases their risk of poor health outcomes. However, there are few available data on specific risk factors for malnutrition among children with cerebral palsy in the developing world. We performed a case-control study among children with cerebral palsy receiving care at a tertiary care hospital in Gaborone, Botswana. Children with cerebral palsy and malnutrition were identified according to World Health Organization growth curves and compared with subjects with cerebral palsy without malnutrition. Risk factors for malnutrition were identified using multivariable logistic regression models. These risk factors were then used to generate a Malnutrition Risk Score, and Receiver Operating Characteristic curves were used to identify optimal cutoffs to identify subjects at high risk of malnutrition. We identified 61 children with cerebral palsy, 26 of whom (43%) met criteria for malnutrition. Nonambulatory status (odds ratio 13.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.8-50.1, P < 0.001) and a composite measure of socioeconomic status (odds ratio 1.6, 95% CI 1.0-2.5, P = 0.03) were the strongest risk factors for malnutrition. A Malnutrition Risk Score was constructed based on these risk factors, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated excellent performance characteristics of this score (area under the curve 0.92, 95% CI 0.89-0.94). Malnutrition is common among children with cerebral palsy in Botswana, and a simple risk score may help identify children with the highest risk. Further studies are needed to validate this screening tool and to determine optimal nutritional interventions in this population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association between depression in carers and malnutrition in children aged 6 months to 5 years.

PubMed

Motlhatlhedi, Keneilwe; Setlhare, Vincent; Ganiyu, Adewale; Firth, Jacqueline

2017-01-30

 Childhood malnutrition is an important risk factor for child mortality and underlies close to 50% of child deaths worldwide. Previous studies have found an association between maternal depression and child malnutrition, but it is not known whether this association exists in Botswana. In addition, previous studies excluded non-maternal primary caregivers (PCGs). It is unclear whether the association between primary caregiver depression and child malnutrition remains when non-maternal PCGs are included. The aim of this study was to determine if there is an association between PCG depression and malnutrition in children aged between 6 months and 5 years in Mahalapye, Botswana. The study was conducted in the child welfare clinics of Xhosa and Airstrip clinics, two primary health care facilities in Mahalapye, Botswana. This was a case control study. Cases were malnourished children aged between 6 months and 5 years, and controls were non-malnourished children matched for age and gender. The outcome of interest was depression in the PCGs of the cases and controls, which was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ 9), a depression screening tool. From a sample of 171 children, 84 of whom were malnourished, we found that the malnourished children were significantly more likely to have depressed PCGs (odds ratio = 4.33; 95% CI: 1.89, 9.89) than non-malnourished children in the 6-month to 5-year age group; the PCGs of malnourished children also had lower educational status. This study found a significant association between PCG depression and child malnutrition.

Food Insufficiency Is Associated with High-Risk Sexual Behavior among Women in Botswana and Swaziland

PubMed Central

Weiser, Sheri D; Leiter, Karen; Bangsberg, David R; Butler, Lisa M; Percy-de Korte, Fiona; Hlanze, Zakhe; Phaladze, Nthabiseng; Iacopino, Vincent; Heisler, Michele

2007-01-01

Background Both food insufficiency and HIV infection are major public health problems in sub-Saharan Africa, yet the impact of food insufficiency on HIV risk behavior has not been systematically investigated. We tested the hypothesis that food insufficiency is associated with HIV transmission behavior. Methods and Findings We studied the association between food insufficiency (not having enough food to eat over the previous 12 months) and inconsistent condom use, sex exchange, and other measures of risky sex in a cross-sectional population-based study of 1,255 adults in Botswana and 796 adults in Swaziland using a stratified two-stage probability design. Associations were examined using multivariable logistic regression analyses, clustered by country and stratified by gender. Food insufficiency was reported by 32% of women and 22% of men over the previous 12 months. Among 1,050 women in both countries, after controlling for respondent characteristics including income and education, HIV knowledge, and alcohol use, food insufficiency was associated with inconsistent condom use with a nonprimary partner (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27–2.36), sex exchange (AOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.74–1.93), intergenerational sexual relationships (AOR 1.46, 95% CI 1.03–2.08), and lack of control in sexual relationships (AOR 1.68, 95% CI 1.24–2.28). Associations between food insufficiency and risky sex were much attenuated among men. Conclusions Food insufficiency is an important risk factor for increased sexual risk-taking among women in Botswana and Swaziland. Targeted food assistance and income generation programs in conjunction with efforts to enhance women's legal and social rights may play an important role in decreasing HIV transmission risk for women. PMID:17958460

Vitamin D insufficiency in HIV-infected pregnant women receiving antiretroviral therapy is not associated with morbidity, mortality or growth impairment in their uninfected infants in Botswana.

PubMed

Powis, Kathleen; Lockman, Shahin; Smeaton, Laura; Hughes, Michael D; Fawzi, Wafaie; Ogwu, Anthony; Moyo, Sikhulile; van Widenfelt, Erik; von Oettingen, Julia; Makhema, Joseph; Essex, Max; Shapiro, Roger L

2014-11-01

Low maternal 25(OH)D (vitamin D) values have been associated with higher mortality and impaired growth among HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infants of antiretroviral (ART)-naive women. These associations have not been studied among HEU infants of women receiving ART. We performed a nested case-control study in the Botswana Mma Bana Study, a study providing ART to women during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Median maternal vitamin D values, and the proportion with maternal vitamin D insufficiency, were compared between women whose HEU infants experienced morbidity/mortality during 24 months of follow-up and women with nonhospitalized HEU infants. Growth faltering was assessed for never hospitalized infants attending the 24-month-of-life visit. Multivariate logistic regression models determined associations between maternal vitamin D insufficiency and infant morbidity/mortality and growth faltering. Delivery plasma was available and vitamin D levels assayable from 119 (86%) of 139 cases and 233 (84%) of 278 controls, and did not differ significantly between cases and controls [median: 36.7 ng/mL, interquartile range (IQR): 29.1-44.7 vs. 37.1 ng/mL, IQR: 30.0-47.2, P = 0.32]. Vitamin D insufficiency (<32 ng/mL) was recorded among 112 (31.8%) of 352 women at delivery and occurred most frequently among women delivering in winter. Multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for maternal HIV disease progression did not show associations between maternal vitamin D insufficiency at delivery and child morbidity/mortality, or 24-month-of-life growth faltering. Vitamin D insufficiency was common among ART-treated pregnant women in Botswana, but was not associated with morbidity, mortality or growth impairment in their HIV-uninfected children.

Evaluation of Resources Necessary for Provision of Trauma Care in Botswana: An Initiative for a Local System.

PubMed

Mwandri, Michael B; Hardcastle, Timothy C

2018-06-01

Developing countries face the highest incidence of trauma, and on the other hand, they do not have resources for mitigating the scourge of these injuries. The World Health Organization through the Essential Trauma Care (ETC) project provides recommendations for improving management of the injured and building up of systems that are effective in low-middle-income countries (LMICs). This study uses ETC project recommendations and other trauma-care guidelines to evaluate the current status of the resources and organizational structures necessary for optimal trauma care in Botswana; an African country with relatively good health facilities network, subsidized public hospital care and a functioning Motor Vehicle Accident fund covering road traffic collision victims. A cross-sectional descriptive design employed convenience sampling for recruiting high-volume trauma hospitals and selecting candidates. A questionnaire, checklist, and physical verification of resources were utilized to evaluate resources, staff knowledge, and organization-of-care and hospital capabilities. Results are provided in plain descriptive language to demonstrate the findings. Necessary consumables, good infrastructure, adequate numbers of personnel and rehabilitation services were identified all meeting or exceeding ETC recommendations. Deficiencies were noted in staff knowledge of initial trauma care, district hospital capability to provide essential surgery, and the organization of trauma care. The good level of resources available in Botswana may be used to improve trauma care: To further this process, more empowering of high-volume trauma hospitals by adopting trauma-care recommendations and inclusive trauma-system approaches are desirable. The use of successful examples on enhanced surgical skills and capabilities, effective trauma-care resource management, and leadership should be encouraged.

Specialty preferences among medical students in Botswana.

PubMed

Rukewe, Ambrose; Abebe, W A; Fatiregun, A A; Kgantshang, M

2017-06-08

With the establishment of a new medical college in Botswana to train generalist-doctors and specialists, we set out to explore the career preferences of medical students, factors that influence their choices and attitude to local postgraduate training. A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among medical students in their third to fifth year, at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana. The structured, self-administered questionnaires which were hand-delivered covered demographic characteristics of responders, career choices, preferred location of specialisation and factors that influenced the choices. Of the 143 medical students approached, 116 (81.0%) returned completed questionnaires. Of the responders, 102 (87.9%) intend to pursue postgraduate specialisation against 2 (1.7%) who declined; 12 (10.3%) were undecided. The four most preferred specialties which constituted 68.1% were surgery (28.4%), paediatrics (19.0%), internal medicine (12.9%), obstetrics and gynaecology (7.2%). There was male preference for surgery (p = 0.04), while women were drawn more towards paediatrics and psychiatry (p = 0.04 and p = 0.01, respectively). Personal interest and aptitude was considered the most important factor among most responders (46.2%), followed by enjoyment of the posting (19.8%). A high proportion of responders 80 (69.0%) preferred to specialise abroad for better exposure/opportunities (48.3%), while for 15.5%, their preferred courses are not currently available locally. Our findings indicated that while four major specialties are preferred, significant gender differences exist with female students leaning towards non-surgical disciplines. Students prefer specialising abroad on the pretext that foreign centres offer better training opportunities, and many specialist programmes are unavailable locally.

SURVEILLANCE FOR VIRAL AND PARASITIC PATHOGENS IN A VULNERABLE AFRICAN LION (PANTHERA LEO) POPULATION IN THE NORTHERN TULI GAME RESERVE, BOTSWANA.

PubMed

McDermid, Kimberly R; Snyman, Andrei; Verreynne, Frederick J; Carroll, John P; Penzhorn, Banie L; Yabsley, Michael J

2017-01-01

African lion ( Panthera leo ) numbers are decreasing rapidly and populations are becoming smaller and more fragmented. Infectious diseases are one of numerous issues threatening free-ranging lion populations, and low-density populations are particularly at risk. We collected data on the prevalence and diversity of viral and parasitic pathogens in a small lion population in eastern Botswana. During 2012 and 2014, blood samples were collected from 59% (n=13) of the adult-subadult lions in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve in eastern Botswana. One lion had antibodies to feline panleukopenia virus, two had antibodies to canine distemper virus, and two had feline calicivirus antibodies. Ten of the 13 had antibodies to feline immunodeficiency virus and 11 had feline herpesvirus antibodies. All lions were negative for antibodies to feline coronavirus. Blood samples from all lions were negative for Trypanosoma, Anaplasma, Theileria, and Ehrlichia spp. by molecular testing; however, all lions were positive for Babesia spp. by reverse line blot hybridization assay. Sequencing of amplicons from four lions revealed four groups of Babesia spp. including several genetic variants of Babesia felis , Babesia lengau, and Babesia canis and a group of novel Babesia sequences which were only 96% similar to other Babesia spp. Six lions were infested with four species of ticks (Rhipicentor nuttalli, Rhipicephalus simus, Rhipicephalus sulcatus, and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus). These data provide the first health assessment of this population and can be used to identify management and conservation strategies to decrease the impact of pathogens on this population. This is particularly important as there is an initiative to incorporate this population into a larger metapopulation of lions from adjacent South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The use of rites of passage in strengthening the psychosocial wellbeing of orphaned children in Botswana.

PubMed

Thamuku, Masego; Daniel, Marguerite

2012-10-01

Children who have been bereaved in the context of AIDS may experience many challenges to their psychosocial wellbeing. Programmes to help orphaned children are usually anchored in child rights. As the individual focus of rights-based approaches is inept in African collectivist culture, NGOs tend to make use of group approaches in psychosocial support programmes. One orphan-strengthening programme in Botswana, called the Ark for Children, uses rites of passage and rites of affirmation as part of a therapeutic retreat. This study explored how rites of passage and rites of affirmation contribute to psychosocial strengthening of orphaned children in Botswana. Ten orphaned children were involved in five rounds of data collection during a 16-day therapeutic retreat; and eight social workers answered questions on the effectiveness of the therapy. A supplementary document analysis was also completed, which included retreat reports since 2001 and correspondence from community-based support workers and graduates of the programme. Participants reported that the rites used during the retreat helped them to commit to therapeutic transformation. During a retreat, all the participants witness and support each individual going through each rite - a process reported to foster and strengthen group formation. It was documented that the symbols used as part of the themed rites of affirmation are used by participants for years afterwards as reminders of their transformation and commitment to the group. We conclude that rites of passage can provide a powerful tool to help children commit to therapeutic transformation, build the supportive group, and enable the community to recognise and affirm that the children return as changed individuals and members of the group.

Variable-source flood pulsing in a semi-arid transboundary watershed: the Chobe River, Botswana and Namibia.

PubMed

Pricope, Narcisa G

2013-02-01

The Chobe River, characterized by an unusual flood pulsing regime and shared between Botswana and Namibia, lies at the heart of the world's largest transfrontier conservation area (the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area). Significant ecological changes and vegetation conversions are occurring along its floodplains. Various scenarios for agricultural and urban water use are currently being proposed by the government of Botswana. However, the understanding of the river's annual flow regime and timing of the relative contributions of water from three different sources is relatively poor. In light of past and future climate change and variability, this means that allocating water between ecological flows and economic and domestic uses will become increasingly challenging. We reconstruct the inundation history in this basin to help ease this challenge. This paper presents a spatiotemporal approach to estimate the contribution of water from various sources and the magnitude of changes in the flooding extent in the basin between 1985 and 2010. We used time series analysis of bimonthly NOAA AVHRR and NASA MODIS data and climatologic and hydrologic records to determine the flooding timing and extent. The results indicate that between 12 and 62 % of the basin is flooded on an annual basis and that the spatial extent of the flooding varies throughout the year as a function of the timing of peak discharge in two larger basins. A 30-year trend analysis indicates a consistent decline in the average monthly flooded area in the basin. The results may prove useful in future water utilization feasibility studies, in determining measures for protecting ecological flows and levels, and in ecosystem dynamics studies in the context of current and future climate change and variability.

Food insufficiency is associated with high-risk sexual behavior among women in Botswana and Swaziland.

PubMed

Weiser, Sheri D; Leiter, Karen; Bangsberg, David R; Butler, Lisa M; Percy-de Korte, Fiona; Hlanze, Zakhe; Phaladze, Nthabiseng; Iacopino, Vincent; Heisler, Michele

2007-10-01

Both food insufficiency and HIV infection are major public health problems in sub-Saharan Africa, yet the impact of food insufficiency on HIV risk behavior has not been systematically investigated. We tested the hypothesis that food insufficiency is associated with HIV transmission behavior. We studied the association between food insufficiency (not having enough food to eat over the previous 12 months) and inconsistent condom use, sex exchange, and other measures of risky sex in a cross-sectional population-based study of 1,255 adults in Botswana and 796 adults in Swaziland using a stratified two-stage probability design. Associations were examined using multivariable logistic regression analyses, clustered by country and stratified by gender. Food insufficiency was reported by 32% of women and 22% of men over the previous 12 months. Among 1,050 women in both countries, after controlling for respondent characteristics including income and education, HIV knowledge, and alcohol use, food insufficiency was associated with inconsistent condom use with a nonprimary partner (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27-2.36), sex exchange (AOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.74-1.93), intergenerational sexual relationships (AOR 1.46, 95% CI 1.03-2.08), and lack of control in sexual relationships (AOR 1.68, 95% CI 1.24-2.28). Associations between food insufficiency and risky sex were much attenuated among men. Food insufficiency is an important risk factor for increased sexual risk-taking among women in Botswana and Swaziland. Targeted food assistance and income generation programs in conjunction with efforts to enhance women's legal and social rights may play an important role in decreasing HIV transmission risk for women.

Temporal dynamics of salt crust patterns on a sodic playa: implications for aerodynamic roughness and dust emission potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nield, Joanna; Bryant, Robert; Wiggs, Giles; King, James; Thomas, David; Eckardt, Frank; Washington, Richard

2015-04-01

Salt pans (or playas) are common in arid environments and can be major sources of windblown mineral dust, but there are uncertainties associated with their dust emission potential. These landforms typically form crusts which modify both their erosivity and erodibility by limiting sediment availability, modifying surface and aerodynamic roughness and limiting evaporation rates and sediment production. Here we show the relationship between seasonal surface moisture change and crust pattern development on part of the Makgadikgadi Pans of Botswana (a Southern Hemisphere playa that emits significant dust), based on both remote-sensing and field surface and atmospheric measurements. We use high resolution (sub-cm) terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) surveys over weekly, monthly and annual timescales to accurately characterise crustal ridge thrusting and collapse. Ridge development can change surface topography as much as 30 mm/week on fresh pan areas that have recently been reset by flooding. The corresponding change aerodynamic roughness can be as much as 3 mm/week. At the same time, crack densities across the surface increase and this raises the availability of erodible fluffy, low density dust source sediment stored below the crust layer. We present a conceptual model accounting for the driving forces (subsurface, surface and atmospheric moisture) and feedbacks between these and surface shape that lead to crust pattern trajectories between highly emissive degraded surfaces and less emissive ridged or continuous crusts. These findings improve our understanding of temporal changes in dust availability and supply from playa source regions.

Decadal shifts of East Asian summer monsoon in a climate model free of explicit GHGs and aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Renping; Zhu, Jiang; Zheng, Fei

2016-12-01

The East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) experienced decadal transitions over the past few decades, and the associated "wetter-South-drier-North" shifts in rainfall patterns in China significantly affected the social and economic development in China. Two viewpoints stand out to explain these decadal shifts, regarding the shifts either a result of internal variability of climate system or that of external forcings (e.g. greenhouse gases (GHGs) and anthropogenic aerosols). However, most climate models, for example, the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP)-type simulations and the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP)-type simulations, fail to simulate the variation patterns, leaving the mechanisms responsible for these shifts still open to dispute. In this study, we conducted a successful simulation of these decadal transitions in a coupled model where we applied ocean data assimilation in the model free of explicit aerosols and GHGs forcing. The associated decadal shifts of the three-dimensional spatial structure in the 1990s, including the eastward retreat, the northward shift of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH), and the south-cool-north-warm pattern of the upper-level tropospheric temperature, were all well captured. Our simulation supports the argument that the variations of the oceanic fields are the dominant factor responsible for the EASM decadal transitions.

Decadal shifts of East Asian summer monsoon in a climate model free of explicit GHGs and aerosols

PubMed Central

Lin, Renping; Zhu, Jiang; Zheng, Fei

2016-01-01

The East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) experienced decadal transitions over the past few decades, and the associated "wetter-South-drier-North" shifts in rainfall patterns in China significantly affected the social and economic development in China. Two viewpoints stand out to explain these decadal shifts, regarding the shifts either a result of internal variability of climate system or that of external forcings (e.g. greenhouse gases (GHGs) and anthropogenic aerosols). However, most climate models, for example, the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP)-type simulations and the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP)-type simulations, fail to simulate the variation patterns, leaving the mechanisms responsible for these shifts still open to dispute. In this study, we conducted a successful simulation of these decadal transitions in a coupled model where we applied ocean data assimilation in the model free of explicit aerosols and GHGs forcing. The associated decadal shifts of the three-dimensional spatial structure in the 1990s, including the eastward retreat, the northward shift of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH), and the south-cool-north-warm pattern of the upper-level tropospheric temperature, were all well captured. Our simulation supports the argument that the variations of the oceanic fields are the dominant factor responsible for the EASM decadal transitions. PMID:27934933

Dietary and lifestyle habits and the associated health risks in shift workers.

PubMed

Nea, Fiona M; Kearney, John; Livingstone, M Barbara E; Pourshahidi, L Kirsty; Corish, Clare A

2015-12-01

Traditionally only a small proportion of the workforce was engaged in shift work. Changing economic pressures have resulted in increased engagement in shift work, with approximately 17 % of the workforce in Europe engaged in this work pattern. The present narrative review aimed to summarise the data on the effects of shift work on the diet, lifestyle and health of employees, while addressing the barriers to, and opportunities for, improving health among shift workers. Shift work can result in low-quality diet and irregular eating patterns. Adverse health behaviours are also reported; particularly increased smoking and poor sleep patterns. These altered lifestyle habits, in conjunction with disruption to circadian rhythms, can create an unfavourable metabolic phenotype which facilitates the development and progression of chronic disease. Although the data are inconclusive due to issues such as poor study design and inadequate control for confounding factors; shift workers appear to be at increased mental and physical health risk, particularly with regard to non-communicable diseases. Information is lacking on the obstacles to leading a healthier lifestyle while working shifts, and where opportunities lie for intervention and health promotion among this group. In order to provide an informed evidence base to assist shift workers in overcoming associated occupational hazards, this gap must be addressed. This review highlights the unique nutritional issues faced by shift workers, and the subsequent effect on health. In societies already burdened with increased incidence of non-communicable chronic diseases, there is a clear need for education and behaviour change interventions among this group.

Shift work parameters and disruption of diurnal cortisol production in female hospital employees.

PubMed

Hung, Eleanor Wai Man; Aronson, Kristan J; Leung, Michael; Day, Andrew; Tranmer, Joan

2016-01-01

Shift work is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Disruption of cortisol production is a potential underlying mechanism. This study explored the associations of diurnal quantity and pattern of cortisol production in relation to (1) current shift work status (exclusive day versus rotating days and nights), (2) years of past shift work and (3) parameters of rotating shift work (timing, length and intensity). Female hospital employees (160 day workers and 168 rotating shift workers) from southeastern Ontario, Canada, participated in a cross-sectional study. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire and measures of body height, weight, and waist circumference were taken. Midstream urine samples were collected over two separate 24-hour periods to measure creatinine-adjusted cortisol. Total diurnal cortisol production and pattern were described with two measures of the area under the curve. The effect of shift work on cortisol was modeled using multivariable linear regression analyses. Cortisol production in day workers and shift workers on their day shift were similar; however, shift workers on the night shift had flatter diurnal cortisol curves and produced less cortisol. This suggests that night work is associated with an acute attenuation of cortisol production.

Development of measurement system for gauge block interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chomkokard, S.; Jinuntuya, N.; Wongkokua, W.

2017-09-01

We developed a measurement system for collecting and analyzing the fringe pattern images from a gauge block interferometer. The system was based on Raspberry Pi which is an open source system with python programming and opencv image manipulation library. The images were recorded by the Raspberry Pi camera with five-megapixel capacity. The noise of images was suppressed for the best result in analyses. The low noise images were processed to find the edge of fringe patterns using the contour technique for the phase shift analyses. We tested our system with the phase shift patterns between a gauge block and a reference plate. The phase shift patterns were measured by a Twyman-Green type of interferometer using the He-Ne laser with the temperature controlled at 20.0 °C. The results of the measurement will be presented and discussed.

Unemployed Youth: Alternative Approaches to an African Crisis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Livingstone, Ian

1989-01-01

This article draws on the findings of seven country studies of youth employment programs in Africa (Botswana, Somalia, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Mauritius). Considered are public service/public works programs, agricultural development, employable skills development and vocationalization of education, and national youth services. (SK)

Cross-cultural adaptation of an adolescent HIV prevention program: social validation of social contexts and behavior among Botswana adolescents.

PubMed

St Lawrence, Janet S; Seloilwe, Esther; Magowe, Mabel; Dithole, Kefalotse; Kgosikwena, Billy; Kokoro, Elija; Lesaane, Dipuo

2013-08-01

An evidence-based HIV prevention intervention was adapted for Botswana youth with qualitative interviews, input from an adolescent panel, and social validation. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 40 boys and girls ages 13-19. An adolescent panel then drafted scenarios reflecting social situations described in the interviews that posed risk for HIV. A social validation sample (N = 65) then indicated the prevalence and difficulty of each situation. Youth described informational needs, pressures to use alcohol and drugs, peer pressure for unprotected sex, and intergenerational sex initiations as risk-priming situations. From 17% to 57% of the social validation sample had personally experienced the situations drafted by the adolescent panel. There were no differences in the ratings of boys versus girls, but youth over age 16 more often reported that they had experienced these risky situations. The results were embedded into the intervention. Major changes to the intervention resulted from this three-phase process.

Identification of sources of aerosol particles in three locations in eastern Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chimidza, S.; Moloi, K.

2000-07-01

Airborne particles have been collected using a dichotomous virtual impactor at three different locations in the eastern part of Botswana: Serowe, Selibe-Phikwe, and Francistown. The particles were separated into two fractions (fine and coarse). Sampling at the three locations was done consecutively during the months of July and August, which are usually dry and stable. The sampling time for each sample was 12 hours during the day. For elemental composition, energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence technique was used. Correlations and principal component analysis with varimax rotation were used to identify major sources of aerosol particles. In all the three places, soil was found to be the main source of aerosol particles. A copper-nickel mine and smelter at Selibe-Phikwe was found to be not only a source of copper and nickel particles in Selibe-Phikwe but also a source of these particles in far places like Serowe. In Selibe-Phikwe and Francistown, car exhaust was found to be the major source of fine particles of lead and bromine.

Case report: false negative serum cryptococcal latex agglutination test in a patient with disseminated cryptococcal disease.

PubMed

Navabi, Nazlee; Montebatsi, Milton; Scott, Michelle; Gluckman, Stephen J; Reid, Michael J A

2015-01-01

A case of false-negative serum latex agglutination cryptococcal antigen (CRAG) test in a 45-year-old HIV-positive male with Cryptococcus-positive culture is described. The patient was presented to a hospital in Botswana, with breathlessness and a diffuse papular rash. His CD4 count was 25 cells/μL. Despite the suspicion for disseminated cryptococcal disease, an initial serum CRAG latex test was negative. Results of subsequent Indian ink staining, culture of cerebrospinal fluid and skin scrapings, and serum lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) were all positive for Cryptococcus neoformans. There are several possible explanations for the false-negative CRAG latex test. Given the positive LFA result, we speculate that disease may have been caused by Cryptococcus gattii, which is estimated to be responsible for between 15% and 30% of all cryptococcal diseases in Botswana. Reduced sensitivity of CRAG latex assays for detecting C gattii may lead to underdiagnosis of cryptococcal infection. © The Author(s) 2014.

Managing stress: the influence of gender, age and emotion regulation on coping among university students in Botswana

PubMed Central

Monteiro, Nicole M.; Balogun, Shyngle K.; Oratile, Kutlo N.

2014-01-01

This study focused on the influence of gender, age and emotion regulation on coping strategies among university students in Botswana. Sixty-four males and 64 females, ranging in age from 18 to 29 years completed the Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale and the Coping Strategy Inventory. Female students used wishful thinking and problem-focused disengagement more than male students; however, there were no other significant gender differences in coping strategies. Older students were more likely to use problem-solving, cognitive restructuring and express emotion coping strategies. In addition, problems in emotion regulation significantly predicted problem-and emotion-focused engagement, problem- and emotion-focused disengagement and coping strategies. There was a unique finding that non-acceptance of emotional responses, a type of emotion suppression, was positively correlated with problem solving, cognitive restructuring, expressing emotion, social support, problem avoidance and wishful thinking coping strategies. Cultural context and implications for student well-being and university support are discussed. PMID:24910491

Control of Cowpea Weevil, Callosobruchus Maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), Using Natural Plant Products.

PubMed

Tiroesele, Bamphitlhi; Thomas, Kesegofetse; Seketeme, Seipati

2014-12-31

A laboratory study was conducted to investigate the effects of natural products on the reproduction and damage of Callosobruchus maculatus, the cowpea weevil, on cowpea seeds at Botswana College of Agriculture in Gaborone, Botswana. The cowpea variety Blackeye was used in the study. Fifty grams of each plant product (garlic, peppermint and chilies) was added to 500 g of the cowpea seeds. Findings of this experiment revealed that chilies and garlic had negative effects on cowpea weevils for all parameters measured. Peppermint also showed significant reduction in the F₁ progeny of the cowpea weevils but with less effect on weevils than garlic and chilies. The results indicate that these plant products have the potential to protect cowpea seeds from cowpea weevils' damage compared to when the seeds are left or stored unprotected. They should, therefore, be included in pest management strategies for cowpea weevil in grains stored on-farm in rural tropical and subtropical regions.

Control of Cowpea Weevil, Callosobruchus Maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), Using Natural Plant Products

PubMed Central

Tiroesele, Bamphitlhi; Thomas, Kesegofetse; Seketeme, Seipati

2014-01-01

A laboratory study was conducted to investigate the effects of natural products on the reproduction and damage of Callosobruchus maculatus, the cowpea weevil, on cowpea seeds at Botswana College of Agriculture in Gaborone, Botswana. The cowpea variety Blackeye was used in the study. Fifty grams of each plant product (garlic, peppermint and chilies) was added to 500 g of the cowpea seeds. Findings of this experiment revealed that chilies and garlic had negative effects on cowpea weevils for all parameters measured. Peppermint also showed significant reduction in the F1 progeny of the cowpea weevils but with less effect on weevils than garlic and chilies. The results indicate that these plant products have the potential to protect cowpea seeds from cowpea weevils’ damage compared to when the seeds are left or stored unprotected. They should, therefore, be included in pest management strategies for cowpea weevil in grains stored on-farm in rural tropical and subtropical regions. PMID:26463066

Lessons Learned From Transitioning PEPFAR Track 1.0 Care and Treatment Programs: Case Studies in Financial Management Capacity Building in Zambia and Botswana.

PubMed

Kuehn, Chuck; Tidwell, George; Vhugen, Jann; Sharma, Anjali

2015-01-01

In 2008, the United States government mandated transition of internationally managed HIV care and treatment programs to local country ownership. Three case studies illustrate the US Health Resources Services Administration's fiscal assessment and technical assistance (TA) processes to strengthen local organizations' capabilities to absorb and manage United States government funding. Review of initial, TA and follow-up reports reveal that the 1 Botswanan and 2 Zambian organizations closed 10 of 17 financial capacity gaps, with Health Resources Services Administration assisting on 2. Zambian organizations requested and absorbed targeted TA on the basis of the consultant's desk review, their finance staff revised fiscal policies and procedures, and accordingly trained other staff. In Botswana, delays in integrating recommendations necessitated on-site TA for knowledge building and role modeling. Organizational maturity may explain differences in responsiveness, ownership, and required TA approaches. Clarifying expectations of capacity building, funding agreement, and nonmonetary donor involvement can help new organizations determine and act on intervening actions.

Initial programmatic implementation of WHO option B in Botswana associated with increased projected MTCT.

PubMed

Dryden-Peterson, Scott; Lockman, Shahin; Zash, Rebecca; Lei, Quonhong; Chen, Jennifer Y; Souda, Sajini; Petlo, Chipo; Dintwa, Eldah; Lebelonyane, Refeletswe; Mmalane, Mompati; Shapiro, Roger L

2015-03-01

: Botswana was one of the first African countries to transition from WHO Option A to Option B for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT). We evaluated the impact of this transition on projected MTCT risk through review of 10,681 obstetric records of HIV-infected women delivering at 6 maternity wards. Compared with Option A, women receiving antenatal care under Option B were more likely to receive combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.59 (95% confidence interval: 2.25 to 2.98), but they were also more likely to receive no antenatal antiretrovirals, aOR: 2.10 (95% confidence interval: 1.74 to 2.53). Consequently, initial implementation of Option B was associated with increased projected MTCT at 6 months of age, 3.79% under Option A and 4.69% under Option B (P < 0.001). Successful implementation of Option B or B+ may require that ART can be initiated within antenatal clinics, and novel strategies to remove barriers to rapid ART initiation.

The impact of HIV antiretroviral treatment perception on risky sexual behaviour in Botswana: a short report.

PubMed

Letamo, Gobopamang; Keetile, Mpho; Navaneetham, Kannan

2017-12-01

The aim of this article is to investigate the impact of ART perception on risky sexual behaviours in Botswana. Using binary logistic regression analysis controlling for individual characteristics, the results tend to support the hypothesis that ART misconceptions do not necessarily increase risky sexual behaviours. In particular, the study findings suggest the belief that ARVs cure HIV and AIDS and that people on ARVs should not always use condoms do not necessarily lead to increased risky sexual behaviours, particularly among women. Gender differentials exist in the perceived sexual risk resulting from the use of ART. Risky sexual behaviours increase for women who, wrongly, believed that ARVs cure HIV and AIDS and people on ARVs should not always use condoms. Although there is evidence to suggest ART perceptions do not necessarily lead to increased risky sexual behaviours, HIV and AIDS prevention programmes are needed to strengthen their information, education and communication intervention component that can address misconceptions about ART treatment and provide correct information that is gender-appropriate.

Orapa Diamond Mine, Botswana

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-11-16

This image from NASA Terra spacecraft shows the Orapa diamond mine, the world largest diamond mine by area. The mine is located in Botswana. It is the oldest of four mines operated by the same company, having begun operations in 1971. Orapa is an open pit style of mine, located on two kimberlite pipes. Currently, the Orapa mine annually produces approximately 11 million carats (2200 kg) of diamonds. The Letlhakane diamond mine is also an open pit construction. In 2003, the Letlhakane mine produced 1.06 million carats of diamonds. The Damtshaa diamond mine is the newest of four mines, located on top of four distinct kimberlite pipes of varying ore grade. The mine is forecast to produce about 5 million carats of diamond over the projected 31 year life of the mine. The image was acquired October 5, 2014, covers an area of 28 by 45 km, and is located at 21.3 degrees south, 25.4 degrees east. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20104

Evaluating the potential impact of a mobile telemedicine system on coordination of specialty care for patients with complicated oral lesions in Botswana

PubMed Central

Tesfalul, Martha; Littman-Quinn, Ryan; Antwi, Cynthia; Ndlovu, Siphiwo; Motsepe, Didintle; Phuthego, Motsholathebe; Tau, Boitumelo; Mohutsiwa-Dibe, Neo

2016-01-01

Mobile telemedicine involves the use of mobile device (e.g., cell phones, tablets) technology to exchange information to assist in the provision of patient care. Throughout the world, mobile telemedicine initiatives are increasing in number and in scale, but literature on their impact on patient outcomes in low-resource areas is limited. This study explores the potential impact of a mobile oral telemedicine system on the oral health specialty referral system in Botswana. Analysis of 26 eligible cases from June 2012 to July 2013 reveals high diagnosis concordance between dental officers and oral health specialists at 91.3% (21/23) but significant management plan discordance at 64.0% (16/25), over two-thirds of which involved the specialists disagreeing with the referring clinicians about the need for a visit to a specialist. These findings suggest mobile telemedicine can optimize the use of insights and skills of specialists remotely in regions where they are scarce. PMID:26510877

Botswana water and surface energy balance research program. Part 2: Large scale moisture and passive microwaves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vandegriend, A. A.; Owe, M.; Chang, A. T. C.

1992-01-01

The Botswana water and surface energy balance research program was developed to study and evaluate the integrated use of multispectral satellite remote sensing for monitoring the hydrological status of the Earth's surface. The research program consisted of two major, mutually related components: a surface energy balance modeling component, built around an extensive field campaign; and a passive microwave research component which consisted of a retrospective study of large scale moisture conditions and Nimbus scanning multichannel microwave radiometer microwave signatures. The integrated approach of both components are explained in general and activities performed within the passive microwave research component are summarized. The microwave theory is discussed taking into account: soil dielectric constant, emissivity, soil roughness effects, vegetation effects, optical depth, single scattering albedo, and wavelength effects. The study site is described. The soil moisture data and its processing are considered. The relation between observed large scale soil moisture and normalized brightness temperatures is discussed. Vegetation characteristics and inverse modeling of soil emissivity is considered.

Qualitative assessment of selected areas of the world for undiscovered sediment-hosted stratabound copper deposits: Chapter Y in Global mineral resource assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zientek, Michael L.; Wintzer, Niki E.; Hayes, Timothy S.; Parks, Heather L.; Briggs, Deborah A.; Causey, J. Douglas; Hatch, Shyla A.; Jenkins, M. Christopher; Williams, David J.; Zientek, Michael L.; Hammarstrom, Jane M.; Johnson, Kathleen M.

2015-12-14

An analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to rank assessment areas according to their potential for undiscovered copper deposits. Once the main characteristics of each area were compiled (age of host rock, geologic setting, stratigraphy, host lithology, deposit subtype(s), known deposits and occurrences, and mineral system components), three criteria (mineralization, extent of study area, and lithostratigraphic framework, each with multiple subcriteria) were scored for all assessment areas. Relative weights and scores were assigned to all criteria by three geologists. In addition, the assessment areas were ranked for comparison exclusively on the basis of professional opinion. The AHP and professional opinion lists are similar but not the same. Both the professional opinion and the cumulative AHP lists rate the Northwest Botswana Rift in Botswana and Namibia as the area most likely to contain the most undiscovered copper deposits. The Salta Rift System in Argentina is rated lowest among the 10 qualitatively assessed areas.

Single-arm evaluation of the AccuCirc device for early infant male circumcision in Botswana.

PubMed

Plank, Rebeca M; Wirth, Kathleen E; Ndubuka, Nnamdi O; Abdullahi, Rasak; Nkgau, Maggie; Lesetedi, Chiapo; Powis, Kathleen M; Mmalane, Mompati; Makhema, Joseph; Shapiro, Roger; Lockman, Shahin

2014-05-01

: Existing devices for early infant male circumcision (EIMC) have inherent limitations. We evaluated the newly developed AccuCirc device by circumcising 151 clinically well, full-term male infants with birth weight ≥2.5 kg within the first 10 days of life from a convenience sample in 2 hospitals in Botswana. No major adverse events were observed. There was 1 local infection, 5 cases of minor bleeding, and 1 case of moderate bleeding. In 3 cases, the device made only partial incisions that were completed immediately by the provider without complications. Parental satisfaction was high: >96% of mothers stated that they would circumcise a future son. The pre-assembled, sterile AccuCirc kit has the potential to overcome obstacles related to supply chain management and on-site instrument disinfection that can pose challenges in resource-limited settings. In our study, the AccuCirc was safe and it should be considered for programmatic EIMC in resource-limited settings.

Nurses' shift length and overtime working in 12 European countries: the association with perceived quality of care and patient safety.

PubMed

Griffiths, Peter; Dall'Ora, Chiara; Simon, Michael; Ball, Jane; Lindqvist, Rikard; Rafferty, Anne-Marie; Schoonhoven, Lisette; Tishelman, Carol; Aiken, Linda H

2014-11-01

Despite concerns as to whether nurses can perform reliably and effectively when working longer shifts, a pattern of two 12- to 13-hour shifts per day is becoming common in many hospitals to reduce shift to shift handovers, staffing overlap, and hence costs. To describe shift patterns of European nurses and investigate whether shift length and working beyond contracted hours (overtime) is associated with nurse-reported care quality, safety, and care left undone. Cross-sectional survey of 31,627 registered nurses in general medical/surgical units within 488 hospitals across 12 European countries. A total of 50% of nurses worked shifts of ≤ 8 hours, but 15% worked ≥ 12 hours. Typical shift length varied between countries and within some countries. Nurses working for ≥ 12 hours were more likely to report poor or failing patient safety [odds ratio (OR)=1.41; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13-1.76], poor/fair quality of care (OR=1.30; 95% CI, 1.10-1.53), and more care activities left undone (RR=1.13; 95% CI, 1.09-1.16). Working overtime was also associated with reports of poor or failing patient safety (OR=1.67; 95% CI, 1.51-1.86), poor/fair quality of care (OR=1.32; 95% CI, 1.23-1.42), and more care left undone (RR=1.29; 95% CI, 1.27-1.31). European registered nurses working shifts of ≥ 12 hours and those working overtime report lower quality and safety and more care left undone. Policies to adopt a 12-hour nursing shift pattern should proceed with caution. Use of overtime working to mitigate staffing shortages or increase flexibility may also incur additional risk to quality.

Nurses’ Shift Length and Overtime Working in 12 European Countries

PubMed Central

Dall’Ora, Chiara; Simon, Michael; Ball, Jane; Lindqvist, Rikard; Rafferty, Anne-Marie; Schoonhoven, Lisette; Tishelman, Carol; Aiken, Linda H.

2014-01-01

Background: Despite concerns as to whether nurses can perform reliably and effectively when working longer shifts, a pattern of two 12- to 13-hour shifts per day is becoming common in many hospitals to reduce shift to shift handovers, staffing overlap, and hence costs. Objectives: To describe shift patterns of European nurses and investigate whether shift length and working beyond contracted hours (overtime) is associated with nurse-reported care quality, safety, and care left undone. Methods: Cross-sectional survey of 31,627 registered nurses in general medical/surgical units within 488 hospitals across 12 European countries. Results: A total of 50% of nurses worked shifts of ≤8 hours, but 15% worked ≥12 hours. Typical shift length varied between countries and within some countries. Nurses working for ≥12 hours were more likely to report poor or failing patient safety [odds ratio (OR)=1.41; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13–1.76], poor/fair quality of care (OR=1.30; 95% CI, 1.10–1.53), and more care activities left undone (RR=1.13; 95% CI, 1.09–1.16). Working overtime was also associated with reports of poor or failing patient safety (OR=1.67; 95% CI, 1.51–1.86), poor/fair quality of care (OR=1.32; 95% CI, 1.23–1.42), and more care left undone (RR=1.29; 95% CI, 1.27–1.31). Conclusions: European registered nurses working shifts of ≥12 hours and those working overtime report lower quality and safety and more care left undone. Policies to adopt a 12-hour nursing shift pattern should proceed with caution. Use of overtime working to mitigate staffing shortages or increase flexibility may also incur additional risk to quality. PMID:25226543

Quantitative mapping of elemental distribution in leaves of the metallophytes Helichrysum candolleanum, Blepharis aspera, and Blepharis diversispina from Selkirk Cu-Ni mine, Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koosaletse-Mswela, Pulane; Przybyłowicz, Wojciech J.; Cloete, Karen J.; Barnabas, Alban D.; Torto, Nelson; Mesjasz-Przybyłowicz, Jolanta

2015-11-01

Multi-element profiling is essential in understanding the metal-tolerant behavior of metallophytes. Although previous reports using multi-elemental analyses show that the metallophytes Blepharis aspera, Blepharis diversispina (Acanthaceae) and Helichrysum candolleanum (Asteraceae) take up metals, no information exists on elemental spatial distribution and concentrations in specific tissues of these plants. The aim of this study therefore was to assess the spatial distribution and concentration of copper, nickel and other elements in leaf tissues of these plants using micro-PIXE. Whole plants were collected with soil in pots from an operational copper and nickel mine (i.e., a copper and nickel mineralized area), Selkirk, about 40 km north-east of Francistown, Botswana. On the same day the samples were transported by air to iThemba LABS in South Africa. Leaf specimens were cryofixed in liquid propane cooled by LN2. Parallel samples were embedded in resin for anatomical studies to facilitate interpretation of elemental maps. The distribution and concentration of copper, nickel, and other elements in leaf tissues were determined using micro-PIXE and proton backscattering spectrometry. Data evaluation was performed using GeoPIXE II software. Micro-PIXE showed that H. candolleanum had the highest whole leaf content of copper (70 ± 3 μg g-1 DW) and nickel (168 ± 5 μg g-1 DW), followed by B. aspera (Cu: 25 ± 1 μg g-1 DW; Ni: 166 ± 4 μg g-1 DW) and B. diversispina (Cu: 3 ± 1 μg g-1 DW; Ni, below detection limit). For specific leaf tissues, the highest levels of copper were found in the vascular bundle for H. candolleanum (167 ± 7 μg g-1 DW) and the lower epidermis for B. aspera (70 ± 9 μg g-1 DW). The highest levels of nickel were present in the vascular bundle of B. aspera (479 ± 10 μg g-1 DW) and H. candolleanum (90 ± 5 μg g-1 DW). Elemental maps showed a similar distribution pattern for copper and nickel in B. aspera and B diversispina, with these elements concentrated in the upper and lower epidermal regions. However, for H. candolleanum, both copper and nickel were concentrated in the mesophyll. The difference in concentration and accumulation patterns between B. aspera, B. diversispina and H. candolleanum suggests that the metal-tolerant adaptation of these metallophytes may differ.

Association of eating behaviours with diurnal preference and rotating shift work in Japanese female nurses: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Yoshizaki, Takahiro; Kawano, Yukari; Noguchi, Osamu; Onishi, Junko; Teramoto, Reiko; Sunami, Ayaka; Yokoyama, Yuri; Tada, Yuki; Hida, Azumi; Togo, Fumiharu

2016-11-28

Our study examines differences in eating behaviour between day workers and rotating shift workers, and considers whether diurnal preference could explain the differences. Japanese female nurses were studied (39 day workers and 123 rotating shift workers, aged 21-63 years) using self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaires assessed eating behaviours, diurnal preference and demographic characteristics. The questionnaire in the Guidelines for the management of obesity disease issued by the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity was used to obtain scores for the levels of obesity-related eating behaviours, including cognition of constitution, motivation for eating, eating as a diversion, feeling of satiety, eating style, meal contents and temporal eating patterns. The Japanese version of the Morningness-Eveningness (ME) questionnaire was used to measure self-rated preference for the degree to which people prefer to be active in the morning or the evening (ME). The scores for meal contents and temporal eating patterns in rotating shift workers were significantly higher than those in day workers. The ME score of rotating shift workers was significantly lower, indicating greater eveningness/less morningness among rotating shift workers. Multivariate linear regression revealed that the ME score was significantly negatively associated with temporal eating patterns and showed a negative association with the score for meal contents at a trend level, while current work shift was not significantly correlated with the scores. These results suggest that eating behaviours for rotating shift workers are associated with a more unbalanced diet and abnormal temporal eating patterns and that the associations may be explained by diurnal preference rather than by rotating shift work. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Hand preference and skilled hand performance among individuals with successful rightward conversions of the writing hand.

PubMed

Porac, Clare

2009-03-01

Searleman and Porac (2001) studied lateral preference patterns among successfully switched left-hand writers, left-hand writers with no switch pressure history, and left-hand writers who did not switch when pressured. They concluded that left-handers who successfully shift to right-hand writing are following an inherent right-sided lateralisation pattern that they already possess. Searleman and Porac suggested that the neural mechanisms that control lateralisation in the successfully switched individuals are systematically different from those of other groups of left-handers. I examined patterns of skilled and less-skilled hand preference and skilled hand performance in a sample of 394 adults (ages 18-94 years). The sample contained successfully switched left-hand writers, left-handers pressured to shift who remained left-hand writers, left-handers who did not experience shift pressures, and right-handers. Both skilled hand preference and skilled hand performance were shifted towards the right side in successfully switched left-hand writers. This group also displayed mixed patterns of hand preference and skilled hand performance in that they were not as right-sided as "natural" right-handers nor were they as left-sided as the two left-hand writing groups, which did not differ from each other. The experience of being pressured to switch to right-hand writing was not sufficient to shift lateralisation patterns; the pressures must be experienced in the context of an underlying neural control mechanism that is amenable to change as a result of these external influences.

Functional decoupling of melatonin suppression and circadian phase resetting in humans.

PubMed

Rahman, Shadab A; St Hilaire, Melissa A; Gronfier, Claude; Chang, Anne-Marie; Santhi, Nayantara; Czeisler, Charles A; Klerman, Elizabeth B; Lockley, Steven W

2018-06-01

There is assumed to be a monotonic association between melatonin suppression and circadian phase resetting induced by light exposure. We tested the association between melatonin suppression and phase resetting in humans. Sixteen young healthy participants received nocturnal bright light (∼9500 lux) exposure of continuous or intermittent patterns, and different durations ranging from 12 min to 6.5 h. Intermittent exposure patterns showed significant phase shifts with disproportionately less melatonin suppression. Each and every bright light stimulus in an intermittent exposure pattern induced a similar degree of melatonin suppression, but did not appear to cause an equal magnitude of phase shift. These results suggest that phase shifts and melatonin suppression are functionally independent such that one cannot be used as a proxy measure of the other. Continuous experimental light exposures show that, in general, the conditions that produce greater melatonin suppression also produce greater phase shift, leading to the assumption that one can be used as a proxy for the other. We tested this association in 16 healthy individuals who participated in a 9-day inpatient protocol by assessing melatonin suppression and phase resetting in response to a nocturnal light exposure (LE) of different patterns: (i) dim-light control (<3 lux; n = 6) or (ii) two 12-min intermittent bright light pulses (IBL) separated by 36 min of darkness (∼9500 lux; n = 10). We compared these results with historical data from additional LE patterns: (i) dim-light control (<3 lux; n = 11); (ii) single continuous bright light exposure of 12 min (n = 9), 1.0 h (n = 10) or 6.5 h (n = 6); or (iii) an IBL light pattern consisting of six 15-min pulses with 1.0 h dim-light recovery intervals between them during a total of 6.5 h (n = 7). All light exposure groups had significantly greater phase-delay shifts than the dim-light control condition (P < 0.0001). While a monotonic association between melatonin suppression and circadian phase shift was observed, intermittent exposure patterns showed significant phase shifts with disproportionately less melatonin suppression. Each and every IBL stimulus induced a similar degree of melatonin suppression, but did not appear to cause an equal magnitude of phase shift. These results suggest unique specificities in how light-induced phase shifts and melatonin suppression are mediated such that one cannot be used as a proxy measure of the other. © 2018 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2018 The Physiological Society.

Mating patterns and pollinator mobility are critical traits in forest fragmentation genetics

PubMed Central

Breed, M F; Ottewell, K M; Gardner, M G; Marklund, M H K; Dormontt, E E; Lowe, A J

2015-01-01

Most woody plants are animal-pollinated, but the global problem of habitat fragmentation is changing the pollination dynamics. Consequently, the genetic diversity and fitness of the progeny of animal-pollinated woody plants sired in fragmented landscapes tend to decline due to shifts in plant-mating patterns (for example, reduced outcrossing rate, pollen diversity). However, the magnitude of this mating-pattern shift should theoretically be a function of pollinator mobility. We first test this hypothesis by exploring the mating patterns of three ecologically divergent eucalypts sampled across a habitat fragmentation gradient in southern Australia. We demonstrate increased selfing and decreased pollen diversity with increased fragmentation for two small-insect-pollinated eucalypts, but no such relationship for the mobile-bird-pollinated eucalypt. In a meta-analysis, we then show that fragmentation generally does increase selfing rates and decrease pollen diversity, and that more mobile pollinators tended to dampen these mating-pattern shifts. Together, our findings support the premise that variation in pollinator form contributes to the diversity of mating-pattern responses to habitat fragmentation. PMID:24002239

Social Studies in African Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adeyemi, Michael B., Ed.

This collection of essays is organized into two sections: Section 1 deals with general issues in social studies, while Section 2 examines social studies education in Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zambia. Essays in Section One are: (1) "The Historical Context of Education in British Colonial…

Botswana: Ntwetwe and Sua Pans

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-04-15

... of red band imagery in which the 45-degree aft camera data are displayed in blue, 45-degree forward as green, and vertical as red. ... coat the surface and turn it bright ("sua" means salt). The mining town of Sowa is located where the Sua Spit (a finger of grassland ...

Culture-Orientated Product Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moalosi, Richie; Popovic, Vesna; Hickling-Hudson, Anne

2010-01-01

There is little in-depth research that can assist designers to use culture as a catalyst for designing innovative products within Botswana's context. The concept of culture and design are intertwined, thus modifications stemming from cultural evolution both reflect and determine developments in design. The paper discusses an experimental design…

State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2008 Appropriations

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-13

political, economic and social reforms. The CRS-3 2 PEPFAR countries include Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria...planning to eliminate several VOA services including Uzbek, Greek, and Cantonese as well as the RFE/RL Macedonia service. BBG also plans to reduce several

Character, Leadership, and the Healthcare Professions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Elizabeth

2010-01-01

The presentation by Elizabeth Holmes, PhD, summarized the integration of character and leadership development in the education of healthcare professionals. Citing the mission, vision, values, graduate attributes, and various examples of current programs and initiatives from both the United States Naval Academy and the University of Botswana, the…

AED in Africa.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy for Educational Development, Washington, DC.

For 30 years, the Academy for Educational Development (AED) has worked to support African development. In Uganda, Tanzania, and Botswana AED promoted some of Africa's first AIDS prevention programs. AED is funding research in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and perhaps Zambia that will target stigma and its role in AIDS prevention. Working with governments…

Englishising African Cultures: Revisiting Acculturated Forms of English in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagwasi, Mompoloki Mmangaka

2014-01-01

Many "African English" researchers (see Kachru, B. B. (1983). "The Indianization of English." "The English language in India." Singapore: Singapore University Press.) have argued that when English is used in non-native environments, many aspects of its lexicon, grammar and pronunciation are modified and…

Estimated age and gender profile of individuals missed by a home-based HIV testing and counselling campaign in a Botswana community.

PubMed

Novitsky, Vlad; Bussmann, Hermann; Okui, Lillian; Logan, Andrew; Moyo, Sikhulile; van Widenfelt, Erik; Mmalane, Mompati; Lei, Quanhong; Holme, Molly P; Makhema, Joseph; Lockman, Shahin; Degruttola, Victor; Essex, M

2015-01-01

It would be useful to understand which populations are not reached by home-based HIV-1 testing and counselling (HTC) to improve strategies aimed at linking these individuals to care and reducing rates of onward HIV transmission. We present the results of a baseline home-based HTC (HBHTC) campaign aimed at counselling and testing residents aged 16 to 64 for HIV in the north-eastern sector of Mochudi, a community in Botswana with about 44,000 inhabitants. Collected data were compared with population references for Botswana, the United Nations (UN) estimates based on the National Census data and the Botswana AIDS Impact Survey IV (BAIS-IV). Analyzed data and references were stratified by age and gender. A total of 6238 age-eligible residents were tested for HIV-1; 1247 (20.0%; 95% CI 19.0 to 21.0%) were found to be HIV positive (23.7% of women vs. 13.4% of men). HIV-1 prevalence peaked at 44% in 35- to 39-year-old women and 32% in 40- to 44-year-old men. A lower HIV prevalence rate, 10.9% (95% CI 9.5 to 12.5%), was found among individuals tested for the first time. A significant gender gap was evident in all analyzed subsets. The existing HIV transmission network was analyzed by combining phylogenetic mapping and household structure. Between 62.4 and 71.8% of all HIV-positive individuals had detectable virus. When compared with the UN and BAIS-IV estimates, the proportion of men missed by the testing campaign (48.5%; 95% CI 47.0 to 50.0%) was significantly higher than the proportion of missed women (14.2%; 95% CI 13.2 to 15.3%; p<0.0001). The estimated proportion of missed men peaked at about 60% in the age group 30 to 39 years old. The proportions of missed women were substantially smaller, at approximately 28% within the age groups 30 to 34 and 45 to 49 years old. The HBHTC campaign seems to be an efficient tool for reaching individuals who have never been tested previously in southern African communities. However, about half of men from 16 to 64 years old were not reached by the HBHTC, including about 60% of men between 30 and 40 years old. Alternative HTC strategies should be developed to bring these men to care, which will contribute to reduction of HIV incidence in communities.

A new typology of work schedules: Evidence from a cross-sectional study among nurses working in residential elder care.

PubMed

Peters, V; de Rijk, A; Engels, J; Heerkens, Y; Nijhuis, F

2016-04-07

Work schedules contribute substantially to the health and well-being of nurses. Too broad typologies are used in research that do not meet the current variety in work schedules. To develop a new typology for nurses' work schedules based on five requirements and to validate the typology. This study is based on a questionnaire returned by 498 nurses (response 51%) including questions regarding nurses' work schedule, socio-demographic, and family characteristics and their appraisal of the work schedule. Frequencies of the different schedules were computed to determine the typology. To validate the typology, differences between the types were tested with ANOVAs, Chi2 and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Five main types can be distinguished based on predetermined requirements and frequencies, namely: (1) fixed early shift, (2) rotating two shift pattern without night shift, (3) rotating three shift pattern, (4) fixed and rotating two shift pattern including night shift, and (5) fixed normal day or afternoon shifts. Nurses in these types of work schedule differed significantly with respect to hours worked, days off between shifts, age, education, years in the job, commuting time, contribution to household income, satisfaction with work schedule and work schedule control. Especially nurses with type 3 schedules differed from other types. A typology of five main types of work schedules is proposed. Content validity of the typology is sufficient and the new typology seems useful for research on work-related aspects of nursing.

Quality of Care in the Nursing Home: Effects of Staff Assignment and Work Shift

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burgio, Louis D.; Fisher, Susan E.; Fairchild, J. Kaci; Scilley, Kay; Hardin, J. Michael

2004-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare a variety of resident and staff outcomes across two types of staffing patterns, permanent and rotating assignment, and work shift. Although studies have examined these staffing patterns as part of multicomponent intervention packages, few studies have examined the isolated effects of staffing…

Unregistered health care staff's perceptions of 12 hour shifts: an interview study.

PubMed

Thomson, Louise; Schneider, Justine; Hare Duke, Laurie

2017-10-01

The purpose of the study was to explore unregistered health care staff's perceptions of 12 hour shifts on work performance and patient care. Many unregistered health care staff work 12 hour shifts, but it is unclear whether these are compatible with good quality care or work performance. Twenty five health care assistants from a range of care settings with experience of working 12 hour shifts took part in interviews or focus groups. A wide range of views emerged on the perceived impact of 12 hour shifts in different settings. Negative outcomes were perceived to occur when 12 hour shifts were combined with short-staffing, consecutive long shifts, high work demands, insufficient breaks and working with unfamiliar colleagues. Positive outcomes were perceived to be more likely in a context of control over shift patterns, sufficient staffing levels, and a supportive team climate. The perceived relationship between 12 hour shifts and patient care and work performance varies by patient context and wider workplace factors, but largely focuses on the ability to deliver relational aspects of care. Nursing managers need to consider the role of other workplace factors, such as shift patterns and breaks, when implementing 12 hour shifts with unregistered health care staff. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Predicting Students' Performance on Agricultural Science Examination from Forecast Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreetsi, Thobega; Mbako, Masole Trust

2008-01-01

The Botswana Examination Council (BEC) uses forecast grades obtained from secondary school Agriculture teachers to review component 2 of Agriculture final examination. Moderation of component 2 can help to improve candidates' final grade. This descriptive-correlational study purports to determine which of the component 1 (multiple choice),…

Some Questions Concerning the Standards of External Examinations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahn, Michael J.

1990-01-01

Variance as a function of time is described for the Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate's examination standards, with emphasis on the performance of candidates from Botswana and Zimbabwe. Results demonstrate the value of simple linear modeling in extracting performance trends for a range of subjects over time across six countries. (TJH)

Performativity in School Management and Leadership in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pansiri, Nkobi Owen

2011-01-01

The thesis of this article is that the uncritical adoption of Western models of education management and leadership policies results in poor performance in schools in disadvantaged communities in developing countries. The argument shows that this has led to the institutionalization of generic education policies that are not contingent to the…

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,…

Using the ALA's "Evaluating Library Instruction" (1996).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roselle, Ann

1997-01-01

Using a multi-method approach--student and faculty surveys and a comparison of bibliographies from senior nursing students--to evaluate the Information Literacy Skills Program at the University of Botswana, this study found that information about the impact of instruction can be discovered through more open-ended questions; the ALA's…

Early Childhood Education in Botswana: A Case of Fragmented "Fits"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maunganidze, Langtone; Tsamaase, Marea

2014-01-01

Scholarly and institutional research on early childhood education is not a new phenomenon, but what is perhaps limited is extant literature that particularly focuses on revisiting current practices and their "dialogue" with the ever-changing environment that prevails especially in an African setting. The practices of providers of early…

Novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex pathogen, M. mungi.

PubMed

Alexander, Kathleen A; Laver, Pete N; Michel, Anita L; Williams, Mark; van Helden, Paul D; Warren, Robin M; Gey van Pittius, Nicolaas C

2010-08-01

Seven outbreaks involving increasing numbers of banded mongoose troops and high death rates have been documented. We identified a Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex pathogen, M. mungi sp. nov., as the causative agent among banded mongooses that live near humans in Chobe District, Botswana. Host spectrum and transmission dynamics remain unknown.

Nutrition Status of HIV+ Children in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nnyepi, Maria; Bennink, Maurice R.; Jackson-Malete, Jose; Venkatesh, Sumathi; Malete, Leapetswe; Mokgatlhe, Lucky; Lyoka, Philemon; Anabwani, Gabriel M.; Makhanda, Jerry; Weatherspoon, Lorraine J.

2015-01-01

Purpose: Identifying and addressing poor nutritional status in school-aged children is often not prioritized relative to HIV/AIDS treatment. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the benefits of integrating nutrition (assessment and culturally acceptable food supplement intervention) in the treatment strategy for this target group.…

After the International Ethics Conference, What Is Next?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ndebele, Paul

2010-01-01

The International Ethics Conference held at the University of Botswana from 6-10 December 2009 brought together over 250 delegates, speakers, and other participants from a wide range of disciplines. The theme of the conference, "Retrieving the Human Face of Science: Understanding Ethics and Integrity in Healthcare, Medicine and…

Are African Flagship Universities Preparing Students for Citizenship?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kgosithebe, Lucky; Luescher, Thierry M.

2015-01-01

This article investigates the contribution of higher education to democratisation in Africa by studying the political attitudes of undergraduate students at four African flagship universities in Botswana, Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania. It analyses students' attitudes against those of youths without higher education and mass publics in their…

Pathology of the emerging Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex pathogen, M. mungi in the banded mongoose (Mungos mungo)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Wild banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) in northeastern Botswana and Northwest Zimbabwe are infected with a novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex pathogen (MTC), M. mungi. This pathogen is transmitted environmentally between mongoose hosts through exposure to infected scent marks used in olfactory c...

Opportunities for Distance Education in the Commonwealth African Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

INTELECON Research & Consultancy Ltd., Vancouver (British Columbia).

The geo-demographic, economic, and infrastructural makeup of 12 African countries (Botswana. Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) were compared to determine the potential benefits to them of a Commonwealth of Learning (COL) distance education initiative. Data were collected on…

The Introduction of Data Processing in Middle-Level Accountancy Training Programs in Developing Countries: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schramm, Karin

1985-01-01

Examines the impact of introducing data processing in middle-level accountancy training programs in Botswana. Hardware and software considerations for the program are also examined. Since the beginning of the program, some 300 students have been trained in accounting. (JN)

77 FR 31676 - Sunshine Act Meeting Notice-June 14, 2012 Board of Directors Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-29

... a.m.): 1. Finance Project--Kenya, Tanzania and East Africa. 2. Finance Project--Peru. 3. Finance Project--Jordan. 4. Finance Project--Botswana. 5. Finance Project--South Africa. 6. Finance Project--Central/Eastern Europe. 7. Finance Project--Brazil. 8. Finance Project--Sub-Saharan Africa. 9. Finance...

Computer-Mediated Communications for Distance Education and Training: Literature Review and International Resources

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

in Part Two on Educational Aplications . 3 A basic issue when evaluating an institution’s dropout rate is whether non-starters are included in the...Association. Africa (Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland) ERASMUS: (European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students) Among its

Exploring Blended Learning for Science Teacher Professional Development in an African Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boitshwarelo, Bopelo

2009-01-01

This paper explores a case of teacher professional development in Botswana where a blended learning solution was attempted. The analysis of the implementation environment reveals deficiencies in policy, schools (workplaces), and training providers. The paper concludes with three recommendations: 1) Schools should support ongoing teacher learning…

Language Policy and Practice in the Multilingual Southern African Development Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mooko, Theophilus

2009-01-01

This study explores the language policy and practice of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), an African regional economic organisation made up of 14 member states (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia…

The International Ethics Conference: An Eye Opener

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phuma, Ellemes

2010-01-01

In this text, Ellemes Phuma, shares her experience and the benefits she derived from the International Ethics Conference held at the University of Botswana (UB). As a graduate student in nursing at that university, she provides her perspective on professional responsibility, compassionate healthcare, and the ethical role that healthcare…

Volume moiré tomography based on projection extraction by spatial phase shifting of double crossed gratings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jia; Guo, Zhenyan; Song, Yang; Han, Jun

2018-01-01

To realize volume moiré tomography (VMT) for the real three-dimensional (3D) diagnosis of combustion fields, according to 3D filtered back projection (FBP) reconstruction algorithm, the radial derivatives of the projected phase should be measured firstly. In this paper, a simple spatial phase-shifting moiré deflectometry with double cross gratings is presented to measure the radial first-order derivative of the projected phase. Based on scalar diffraction theory, the explicit analytical intensity distributions of moiré patterns on different diffracted orders are derived, and the spatial shifting characteristics are analyzed. The results indicate that the first-order derivatives of the projected phase in two mutually perpendicular directions are involved in moiré patterns, which can be combined to compute the radial first-order derivative. And multiple spatial phase-shifted moiré patterns can be simultaneously obtained; the phase-shifted values are determined by the parameters of the system. A four-step phase-shifting algorithm is proposed for phase extraction, and its accuracy is proved by numerical simulations. Finally, the moiré deflectometry is used to measure the radial first-order derivative of projected phase of a propane flame with plane incident wave, and the 3D temperature distribution is reconstructed.

Faster poleward range shifts in moths with more variable colour patterns

PubMed Central

Forsman, Anders; Betzholtz, Per-Eric; Franzén, Markus

2016-01-01

Range shifts have been documented in many organisms, and climate change has been implicated as a contributing driver of latitudinal and altitudinal range modifications. However, little is known about what species trait(s) allow for faster environmental tracking and improved capacity for distribution expansions. We used data for 416 species of moths, and show that range limits in Sweden have shifted to the north by on average 52.4 km per decade between 1973 and 2014. When also including non-expanding species, average expansion rate was 23.2 km per decade. The rate of boundary shifts increased with increasing levels of inter-individual variation in colour patterns and decreased with increasing latitude. The association with colour patterns indicate that variation in this functionally important trait enables species to cope with novel and changing conditions. Northern range limits also increased with average abundance and decreased with increasing year-to-year abundance fluctuations, implicating production of dispersers as a driver of range dynamics. Studies of terrestrial animals show that rates of poleward shifts differ between taxonomic groups, increase over time, and depend on study duration and latitude. Knowledge of how distribution shifts change with time, location, and species characteristics may improve projections of responses to climate change and aid the protection of biodiversity. PMID:27808116

Faster poleward range shifts in moths with more variable colour patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forsman, Anders; Betzholtz, Per-Eric; Franzén, Markus

2016-11-01

Range shifts have been documented in many organisms, and climate change has been implicated as a contributing driver of latitudinal and altitudinal range modifications. However, little is known about what species trait(s) allow for faster environmental tracking and improved capacity for distribution expansions. We used data for 416 species of moths, and show that range limits in Sweden have shifted to the north by on average 52.4 km per decade between 1973 and 2014. When also including non-expanding species, average expansion rate was 23.2 km per decade. The rate of boundary shifts increased with increasing levels of inter-individual variation in colour patterns and decreased with increasing latitude. The association with colour patterns indicate that variation in this functionally important trait enables species to cope with novel and changing conditions. Northern range limits also increased with average abundance and decreased with increasing year-to-year abundance fluctuations, implicating production of dispersers as a driver of range dynamics. Studies of terrestrial animals show that rates of poleward shifts differ between taxonomic groups, increase over time, and depend on study duration and latitude. Knowledge of how distribution shifts change with time, location, and species characteristics may improve projections of responses to climate change and aid the protection of biodiversity.

Atmospheric scattering effects on ground-based measurements of thermospheric winds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abreu, V. J.; Schmitt, G. A.; Hays, P. B.; Meriwether, J. W., Jr.; Tepley, C. A.; Cogger, L. L.

1983-01-01

Convergent or divergent thermospheric wind patterns detected by ground-based Fabry-Perot interferometric measurements of the Doppler shifts of atomic lines are demonstrated to occur in the presence of strong intensity gradients and a scattering atmosphere. Consideration is given to the color shifts observed when sighting to the north or the south, and a numerical model is developed to describe the wind patterns which produce the recorded shifts. An account is taken of the direct and scattered components of the brightness, with the atmosphere treated as a single scattering layer with a reflecting surface underneath. A scattering coefficient is calculated, together with the line shape of the wavelength shifts. The scattered light is demonstrated, both through simulations and measurements taken near Calgary, Alberta, to produce convergence or divergence of the color shifts, depending on the line-of-sight of the viewing.

Elevated Extinction Rates as a Trigger for Diversification Rate Shifts: Early Amniotes as a Case Study

PubMed Central

Brocklehurst, Neil; Ruta, Marcello; Müller, Johannes; Fröbisch, Jörg

2015-01-01

Tree shape analyses are frequently used to infer the location of shifts in diversification rate within the Tree of Life. Many studies have supported a causal relationship between shifts and temporally coincident events such as the evolution of “key innovations”. However, the evidence for such relationships is circumstantial. We investigated patterns of diversification during the early evolution of Amniota from the Carboniferous to the Triassic, subjecting a new supertree to analyses of tree balance in order to infer the timing and location of diversification shifts. We investigated how uneven origination and extinction rates drive diversification shifts, and use two case studies (herbivory and an aquatic lifestyle) to examine whether shifts tend to be contemporaneous with evolutionary novelties. Shifts within amniotes tend to occur during periods of elevated extinction, with mass extinctions coinciding with numerous and larger shifts. Diversification shifts occurring in clades that possess evolutionary innovations do not coincide temporally with the appearance of those innovations, but are instead deferred to periods of high extinction rate. We suggest such innovations did not cause increases in the rate of cladogenesis, but allowed clades to survive extinction events. We highlight the importance of examining general patterns of diversification before interpreting specific shifts. PMID:26592209

Standing economy: does the heterogeneity in the energy cost of posture maintenance reside in differential patterns of spontaneous weight-shifting?

PubMed

Miles-Chan, Jennifer L; Fares, Elie-Jacques; Berkachy, Redina; Jacquet, Philippe; Isacco, Laurie; Schutz, Yves; Montani, Jean-Pierre; Dulloo, Abdul G

2017-04-01

Due to sedentarity-associated disease risks, there is much interest in methods to increase low-intensity physical activity. In this context, it is widely assumed that altering posture allocation can modify energy expenditure (EE) to impact body-weight regulation and health. However, we have recently shown the existence of two distinct phenotypes pertaining to the energy cost of standing-with most individuals having no sustained increase in EE during steady-state standing relative to sitting comfortably. Here, we investigated whether these distinct phenotypes are related to the presence/absence of spontaneous "weight-shifting", i.e. the redistribution of body-weight from one foot to the other. Using indirect calorimetry to measure EE in young adults during sitting and 10 min of steady-state standing, we examined: (i) heterogeneity in EE during standing (n = 36); (ii) EE and spontaneous weight-shifting patterns (n = 18); (iii) EE during spontaneous weight-shifting versus experimentally induced weight-shifting (n = 7), and; (iv) EE during spontaneous weight-shifting versus intermittent leg/body displacement (n = 6). Despite heterogeneity in EE response to steady-state standing, no differences were found in the amount or pattern of spontaneous weight-shifting between the two phenotypes. Whilst experimentally induced weight-shifting resulted in a mean EE increase of only 11% (range: 0-25%), intermittent leg/body displacement increased EE to >1.5 METs in all participants. Although the variability in spontaneous weight-shifting signatures between individuals does not appear to underlie heterogeneity in the energy cost of standing posture maintenance, these studies underscore the fact that leg/body displacement, rather than standing posture alone, is needed to increase EE above the currently defined sedentary threshold.

Earth Observations

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-02

ISS028-E-006830 (2 June 2011) --- Okavango Swamp in Botswana is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 28 crew member on the International Space Station. This short focal-length photograph shows the entire Okavango ?delta,? a swampland known in Southern Africa as the ?Jewel of the Kalahari Desert?. This enormous pristine wetland of forest, wildlife, and freshwater almost miraculously appears in a desert where surface water is typically non-existent. The water comes from the Okavango River which rises in the high-rainfall zone of southern Angola, hundreds of kilometers to the northwest. The dark green forested floodplain is approximately 10 kilometers wide where it enters the view (left). The Okavango then enters a rift basin which allows the river to spread out, forming the wetland. The width of the rift determines the dimensions of the delta?150 kilometers from apex to the linear downstream margin (right). The apex fault is more difficult to discern, but two fault lines actually define the downstream margin; the fault traces are indicated by linear stream channels and vegetation patterns oriented at nearly right angles to the southeast-trending distributary channels at center. The distributary channels carry sediment from the Okavango River that is deposited within the rift basin. Over time, a fan-shaped morphology of the deposits has developed, leading to characterization of the wetland as the Okavango ?delta?. The drying trend from higher rainfall in the north (left) to less rainfall in central Botswana (right) is shown by the change from the greens of denser savanna vegetation to browns of an open ?thornscrub? savanna. More subtle distinctions appear: the distributary arms of the delta include tall, permanent riverine and seasonal forest (dark green), with grasses and other savanna vegetation (light green) on floodplains?which appear well watered in this image. Linear dunes, emplaced by constant winds from the east during drier climates, appear as straight lines at left. The dunes are 10 meters high and their sands hold enough moisture for some trees to grow on them. Counter-intuitively, the low ?streets? between the dunes are treeless because they are dominated by dense dry white soils known as calcretes.

Differences in cortisol profiles and circadian adjustment time between nurses working night shifts and regular day shifts: A prospective longitudinal study.

PubMed

Niu, Shu-Fen; Chung, Min-Huey; Chu, Hsin; Tsai, Jui-Chen; Lin, Chun-Chieh; Liao, Yuan-Mei; Ou, Keng-Liang; O'Brien, Anthony Paul; Chou, Kuei-Ru

2015-07-01

This study explored the differences in the circadian salivary cortisol profiles between nurses working night shifts and regular day shifts following a slow rotating shift schedule to assess the number of days required for adjusting the circadian rhythm of salivary cortisol levels in nurses working consecutive night shifts and the number of days off required to restore the diurnal circadian rhythm of salivary cortisol levels. This was a prospective, longitudinal, parallel-group comparative study. The participants were randomly assigned to night and day-shift groups, and saliva samples were collected to measure their cortisol levels and circadian secretion patterns. Significant differences were observed in the overall salivary cortisol pattern parameters (cortisol awakening response, changes in cortisol profiles between 6 and 12h after awakening, and changes in cortisol profiles between 30 min and 12 h after awakening) from Days 2 to 4 of the workdays between both groups. However, on Day 2 of the days off, both groups exhibited similar cortisol profiles and the cortisol profiles in the night-shift group were restored. Nurses working night shifts require at least 4 days to adjust their circadian rhythms of cortisol secretions. Moreover, on changing from night shift to other shifts, nurses must be allowed more than 2 days off work. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evidence for a Peak Shift in a Humoral Response to Helminths: Age Profiles of IgE in the Shuar of Ecuador, the Tsimane of Bolivia, and the U.S. NHANES

PubMed Central

Blackwell, Aaron D.; Gurven, Michael D.; Sugiyama, Lawrence S.; Madimenos, Felicia C.; Liebert, Melissa A.; Martin, Melanie A.; Kaplan, Hillard S.; Snodgrass, J. Josh

2011-01-01

Background The peak shift model predicts that the age-profile of a pathogen's prevalence depends upon its transmission rate, peaking earlier in populations with higher transmission and declining as partial immunity is acquired. Helminth infections are associated with increased immunoglobulin E (IgE), which may convey partial immunity and influence the peak shift. Although studies have noted peak shifts in helminths, corresponding peak shifts in total IgE have not been investigated, nor has the age-patterning been carefully examined across populations. We test for differences in the age-patterning of IgE between two South American forager-horticulturalist populations and the United States: the Tsimane of Bolivia (n = 832), the Shuar of Ecuador (n = 289), and the U.S. NHANES (n = 8,336). We then examine the relationship between total IgE and helminth prevalences in the Tsimane. Methodology/Principal Findings Total IgE levels were assessed in serum and dried blood spots and age-patterns examined with non-linear regression models. Tsimane had the highest IgE (geometric mean  = 8,182 IU/ml), followed by Shuar (1,252 IU/ml), and NHANES (52 IU/ml). Consistent with predictions, higher population IgE was associated with steeper increases at early ages and earlier peaks: Tsimane IgE peaked at 7 years, Shuar at 10 years, and NHANES at 17 years. For Tsimane, the age-pattern was compared with fecal helminth prevalences. Overall, 57% had detectable eggs or larva, with hookworm (45.4%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (19.9%) the most prevalent. The peak in total IgE occurred around the peak in A. lumbricoides, which was associated with higher IgE in children <10, but with lower IgE in adolescents. Conclusions The age-patterning suggests a peak shift in total IgE similar to that seen in helminth infections, particularly A. lumbricoides. This age-patterning may have implications for understanding the effects of helminths on other health outcomes, such as allergy, growth, and response to childhood vaccination. PMID:21738813

Evidence for a peak shift in a humoral response to helminths: age profiles of IgE in the Shuar of Ecuador, the Tsimane of Bolivia, and the U.S. NHANES.

PubMed

Blackwell, Aaron D; Gurven, Michael D; Sugiyama, Lawrence S; Madimenos, Felicia C; Liebert, Melissa A; Martin, Melanie A; Kaplan, Hillard S; Snodgrass, J Josh

2011-06-01

The peak shift model predicts that the age-profile of a pathogen's prevalence depends upon its transmission rate, peaking earlier in populations with higher transmission and declining as partial immunity is acquired. Helminth infections are associated with increased immunoglobulin E (IgE), which may convey partial immunity and influence the peak shift. Although studies have noted peak shifts in helminths, corresponding peak shifts in total IgE have not been investigated, nor has the age-patterning been carefully examined across populations. We test for differences in the age-patterning of IgE between two South American forager-horticulturalist populations and the United States: the Tsimane of Bolivia (n=832), the Shuar of Ecuador (n=289), and the U.S. NHANES (n=8,336). We then examine the relationship between total IgE and helminth prevalences in the Tsimane. Total IgE levels were assessed in serum and dried blood spots and age-patterns examined with non-linear regression models. Tsimane had the highest IgE (geometric mean =8,182 IU/ml), followed by Shuar (1,252 IU/ml), and NHANES (52 IU/ml). Consistent with predictions, higher population IgE was associated with steeper increases at early ages and earlier peaks: Tsimane IgE peaked at 7 years, Shuar at 10 years, and NHANES at 17 years. For Tsimane, the age-pattern was compared with fecal helminth prevalences. Overall, 57% had detectable eggs or larva, with hookworm (45.4%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (19.9%) the most prevalent. The peak in total IgE occurred around the peak in A. lumbricoides, which was associated with higher IgE in children <10, but with lower IgE in adolescents. The age-patterning suggests a peak shift in total IgE similar to that seen in helminth infections, particularly A. lumbricoides. This age-patterning may have implications for understanding the effects of helminths on other health outcomes, such as allergy, growth, and response to childhood vaccination.

Interplay Between Hiv/aids Epidemics and Demographic Structures Based on Sexual Contact Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Wen-Jie; Zhou, Tao; Wang, Bing-Hong

In this article, we propose a network spreading model for HIV epidemics, wherein each individual is represented by a node of the transmission network and the edges are the connections between individuals along which the infection may spread. The sexual activity of each individual, measured by its degree, is not homogeneous but obeys a power-law distribution. Due to the heterogeneity of activity, the infection can persistently exist at a very low prevalence, which has been observed in the real data but cannot be illuminated by previous models with homogeneous mixing hypothesis. The model displays a clear picture of hierarchical spread: In the early stage the infection is adhered to these high-risk persons, and then, diffuses toward low-risk population. Furthermore, we find that to reduce the risky behaviors is much more effective in the fight against HIV/AIDS rather than the antiretroviral drug therapies. The prediction results show that the development of epidemics can be roughly categorized into three patterns for different countries, and the pattern of a given country is mainly determined by the average sex-activity and transmission probability per sexual partner. In most cases, the effect of HIV epidemics on demographic structure is very small. However, for some extremely countries, like Botswana, the number of sex-active people can be depressed to nearly a half by AIDS.

Heteroskedasticity as a leading indicator of desertification in spatially explicit data.

PubMed

Seekell, David A; Dakos, Vasilis

2015-06-01

Regime shifts are abrupt transitions between alternate ecosystem states including desertification in arid regions due to drought or overgrazing. Regime shifts may be preceded by statistical anomalies such as increased autocorrelation, indicating declining resilience and warning of an impending shift. Tests for conditional heteroskedasticity, a type of clustered variance, have proven powerful leading indicators for regime shifts in time series data, but an analogous indicator for spatial data has not been evaluated. A spatial analog for conditional heteroskedasticity might be especially useful in arid environments where spatial interactions are critical in structuring ecosystem pattern and process. We tested the efficacy of a test for spatial heteroskedasticity as a leading indicator of regime shifts with simulated data from spatially extended vegetation models with regular and scale-free patterning. These models simulate shifts from extensive vegetative cover to bare, desert-like conditions. The magnitude of spatial heteroskedasticity increased consistently as the modeled systems approached a regime shift from vegetated to desert state. Relative spatial autocorrelation, spatial heteroskedasticity increased earlier and more consistently. We conclude that tests for spatial heteroskedasticity can contribute to the growing toolbox of early warning indicators for regime shifts analyzed with spatially explicit data.

Education Data Quality in the Third World: A Five Country Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapman, David W.

1991-01-01

Reports findings from a study of the confidence expressed by ministry-level decision makers in five developing countries (i.e., Somalia, Botswana, Liberia, Yemen, and Nepal) about the quality of the national-level education data available to them and reasons for the perceived 16-40 percent error rate. (DMM)

In-School Psychosocial Support Services for Safeguarding Children's Rights: Results and Implications of a Botswana Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ntinda, Kayi; Maree, Jacobus Gideon; Mpofu, Elias; Seeco, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

In-school psychosocial support services are intended to create safe learning environments for children, enabling the children to attain age-appropriate developmental tasks. This study investigated protections to children's right to safe learning environments through the provision of in-school psychosocial support services. Participants were 230…

Adolescent Obesity Prevention in Botswana: Beliefs and Recommendations of School Personnel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaibu, Sheila; Holsten, Joanna E.; Stettler, Nicolas; Maruapula, Segametsi D.; Jackson, Jose C.; Malete, Leapetswe; Mokone, George; Wrotniak, Brian H.; Compher, Charlene W.

2012-01-01

The study's objectives were to gain school personnel's (1) perceptions on diet, physical activity, body size, and obesity, (2) description of school food and physical activity practices, and (3) recommendations for programs to prevent adolescent obesity. The study took place in six junior secondary schools of varying socioeconomic status in…

The Liberal Arts in Anglophone Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lilford, Grant

2012-01-01

In 2009 and 2010, the author was involved in two University of Botswana initiatives on graduate employability. The first was a university-wide task force exploring the attitudes of students and staff and recommending reforms both in learning and teaching and in support services for students. The second was a Faculty of Humanities tracer study, in…

Making Space for Adult Education in Independent Namibia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Justin

2004-01-01

Namibia is a vast and arid African country neighbouring South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola and the Atlantic Ocean, with a population of only two million. Namibia achieved its independence in 1990 after a protracted and brutal struggle, latterly against South African occupation, but rooted in the resistance to German colonisation that…

Costs and Financing in Open Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Du Vivier, Ed

2008-01-01

These self-instructional resources have their origins in a workshop on the Costs and Financing of Open & Distance Learning which took place from 6-10 August 2007 in Gabarone, Botswana. The workshop was sponsored by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) with the overall aim of building capacity to plan, negotiate and manage appropriate financial…

ODL and the Impact of Digital Divide on Information Access in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oladokun, Olugbade; Aina, Lenrie

2011-01-01

Open and distance learning (ODL) has created room for the emergence of virtual education. Not only are students found everywhere and anywhere undertaking their studies and earning their degrees, but geographical boundaries between nations no longer appear to have much relevance. As the new education paradigm irretrievably alters the way teaching…

Preparing Teachers for Inclusive Education in Botswana: The Role of Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mangope, Boitumelo; Mukhopadhyay, Sourav

2015-01-01

The continuing professional development of teachers is crucial for implementation of inclusive education and improving the quality of educational service delivery of all learners. The purpose of this preliminary study was to explore teachers' beliefs about professional development for inclusive education in two primary and two secondary schools in…

I Didn't Know There Were Cities in Africa!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randolph, Brenda

2008-01-01

As Professor Michael Bamidele Adeyemi of the University of Botswana suggests, "Americans believe that Africa is a country, that Africa is "still uncivilized," that the average African is polygamous, and that Africa is not urbanized." In fact, the African continent encompasses a diverse set of more than 50 nations, each made up…

State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2008 Appropriations

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-30

countries that have demonstrated a strong commitment to political, economic and social reforms. The CRS-3 2 PEPFAR countries include Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire...and Cantonese as well as the RFE/RL Macedonia service. BBG also plans to reduce several others, such as VOA and RFE/RL service in Ukrainian, Tibetan

Emerging tuberculosis pathogen hijacks social communication behavior in the group-living banded mongoose (Mungos mungo)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Mycobacterium mungi, a novel M. tuberculosis complex pathogen (MtbC), has emerged in wild banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) in Northern Botswana, causing significant mortality. Unlike other members of the MtbC, M. mungi is not transmitted through a primary aerosol route. Rather, pathogen invasion occur...

Uncovering University Students' Readiness through Their Assessment of Workplace Communication Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magogwe, Joel M.; Nkosana, Leonard B. M.; Ntereke, Beauty B.

2014-01-01

Employers in today's competitive and challenging global world prefer employees who possess "soft skills" in addition to "hard skills" because they make an impact and create a good impression in the workplace. This study examined employment readiness of the University of Botswana (UB) students who took the Advanced Communication…

Survey of Basic Education in Eastern Africa. UNESCO/UNICEF Co-Operation Programme.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Nairobi (Kenya). Regional Office of Science and Technology for Africa.

A survey of basic education in 13 Eastern African countries (Madagascar, Burundi, Comores, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, and Somalia) covers basic education programs and UNICEF's supporting role. Basic education is seen as a concept evolved in the region, involving formal school systems and…

Problem-Based Learning Pedagogies in Teacher Education: The Case of Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Major, Thenjiwe; Mulvihill, Thalia M.

2017-01-01

The development of primary school teachers is an important aspect of a country's economic, social, and political well-being. The use of particular pedagogies in teacher education may greatly influence how teachers perform in their classrooms after completing their training programs. This micro-ethnography investigated the extent to which teacher…

Africa: A Survey of Distance Education 1991. New Papers on Higher Education: Studies and Research 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

John, Magnus

Country profiles compiled through a survey of distance education in Africa form the contents of this document. International organizations and 35 countries were surveyed: Algeria; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Congo (Brazzaville); Djibouti; Ethiopia; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Ivory Coast; Kenya;…

Teaching and Learning African Music and Jaques-Dalcroze's Eurhythmics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phuthego, Mothusi

2005-01-01

This article looks at the indigenous music of Botswana as an African musical idiom, to illustrate common aspects between approaches to teaching and learning music in African societies and the Jaques-Dalcroze approach. The author argues that a strong foundation exists in African musical practices upon which the Dalcroze approach can build. That…

Variations in Reading Achievement across 14 Southern African School Systems: Which Factors Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hungi, Njora; Thuku, Florence W.

2010-01-01

In this study the authors employed a multilevel analysis procedure in order to examine the pupil and school levels factors that contributed to variation in reading achievement among Grade 6 primary school pupils in 14 southern African school systems (Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa,…

Correlates and Dimensions of Environmental Quality Concern among Residents of an African Subtropical City: Gaborone, Botswana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chanda, Raban

1999-01-01

Examines the dimensions of environmental quality and socioeconomic concern among residents of a small but spatially and demographically dynamic city in southern Africa. Environmental quality issues compete with socioeconomic concerns for people's attention, and the issues are more recognized by better-educated and well-off residents. Concludes…

School Enterprises: Combining Vocational Learning with Production. International Project on Technical and Vocational Education (UNEVOC).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Madhu

Trends in combining learning and production were examined through case studies of school enterprises in 11 countries: China, India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Germany, Botswana, Kenya, Ghana, Algeria, Cuba, and Costa Rica. The study focused on the following: types and structures of school enterprises; organization of learning; competency…

Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs: The Case of the University of Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Major, Thenjiwe Emily; Mangope, Boitumelo

2014-01-01

Universities and colleges of education all over the world are experiencing student populations who bring diverse values and experiences into the learning environment. Student affairs professionals are faced with the challenge of accommodating each student's unique needs. This paper intends to address the essentiality of multicultural competence in…

Environmental Processes and Spectral Reflectance Characteristics Associated with Soil Erosion in Desert Fringe Regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobberger, P. A.

1987-01-01

Results of analysis of spectral variation of sand dunes in El Ghorabi, Bahariya, Egypt; Tombouctou/Azaouad, Mali; and Tsodilo Hills, western Botswana are presented. Seasonal variations in dune extent and location of dune crests and their relationship to such factors as wind and weather variations are emphasized.

The Impact and Implementation of National Qualifications Frameworks: A Comparison of 16 Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allais, Stephanie M.

2011-01-01

This article provides some of the key findings of a comparative study commissioned by the International Labour Organization (ILO), which attempted to understand more about the impact and implementation of national qualifications frameworks (NQFs). Sixteen case studies were produced, on qualifications frameworks in Australia; Bangladesh; Botswana;…

Client characteristics and gender-specific correlates of testing HIV positive: a comparison of standalone center versus mobile outreach HIV testing and counseling in Botswana.

PubMed

Hood, Julia E; MacKellar, Duncan; Spaulding, Anne; Nelson, Rob; Mosiakgabo, Boingotlo; Sikwa, Bangwato; Puso, Innocentia; Raats, Jan; Loeto, Peter; Alwano, Mary Grace; Monyatsi, Blessed

2012-10-01

Using data from Botswana's largest HIV testing and counseling (HTC) provider, Tebelopele, we evaluate populations served and gender-specific correlates of testing HIV-positive among clients of two programs: standalone centers and outreach testing. Client records from January to June 2007 (n = 47,890) were evaluated by HTC program and gender. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify demographic, testing, and risk-behavior variables associated with testing HIV-positive. Compared to outreach testing, standalone centers served proportionally more clients who were young, well-educated, unmarried, and HIV-infected; outreach testing reached an older, less-educated population. Age, educational attainment, marital status, couples testing, testing because of illness or discordant relationship, and nonuse of condoms (among young clients only) were consistently associated with testing HIV-positive, by HTC program and gender. Our evaluation suggests that Tebelopele standalone and outreach HTC programs serve different populations, and identifies strategies to reduce HIV infection risk and to improve uptake of HTC by HIV-infected, undiagnosed Batswana.

Silica and carbonate relationships in silcrete-calcrete intergrade duricrusts from the Kalahari of Botswana and Namibia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nash, David J.; Shaw, Paul A.

1998-07-01

Silcrete-calcrete intergrade duricrusts (surface or near-surface chemically precipitated crusts with a cement comprising a mixture of silica and CaCO 3) have been widely identified in the geological, geomorphological and pedological literature, but have not, to date, been systematically described or classified. This paper presents a review of previous definitions of the end members of the silcrete-calcrete spectrum and subsequently identifies the major silica-carbonate relationships within intergrade types are identified on the the Kalahari of Botswana and Namibia. Three main intergrade types are identified on the basis of silica-carbonate associations: duricrusts where secondary silica occurs within a calcareous matrix; varieties where secondary carbonate occurs within a siliceous matrix; and materials where silica and carbonate matrix cements appear to have been precipitated contemporaneously or in close succession. Within each of these three groups, sub-types are identified dependent upon whether secondary materials have replaced or been emplaced within a pre-existing duricrust. Finally, a practical procedure for the simple definition of silcrete-calcrete intergrade duricrusts is suggested based upon a combination of bulk chemical and thin-section analyses.

Serogenetic and haematological studies on the Kgalagadi of Botswana.

PubMed

Jenkins, T; Speirs, J; Dunn, D S; Nurse, G T

1987-01-01

A sample of Kgalagadi, Negro speakers of a Sotho/Tswana Bantu language, inhabitants of Botswana, have been investigated for variation in 27 gene-marker systems and for haematological status and the presence of intestinal parasites. They have been found to show indications of genetic affinity both to the other Sotho/Tswana and to the Mbanderu divisions of the Herero, a Bantu-speaking Negro people of Namibia. The latter affinity appears the closer. Although the historical connection between the peoples seems unlikely on cultural and oral-historical grounds, it is not impossible, given the shallow depth of the oral history of the Herero and the consequent doubts about the antiquity of their present cultural system. Nothing in the genetic profile of the Kgalagadi contradicts the claim that they represent a very early, and perhaps the first, wave of Negro immigration into southern Africa. They have been investigated for intestinal parasites and haematological status as well. They appear to be haematologically healthy, and to possess only the narrow range of parasites previously found in the Kalahari Desert, apart from one subject in whom Hymenolepis nana (Dwarf tapeworm) was found.

mHealth to revolutionize information retrieval in low and middle income countries: introduction and proposed solutions using Botswana as reference point.

PubMed

Littman-Quinn, Ryan; Luberti, Anthony A; Kovarik, Carrie

2013-01-01

Information retrieval (IR) practice is invaluable in health care, where the growth of medical knowledge has long surpassed human memory capabilities, and health care workers often have unmet information needs. While the information and communications technology (ICT) revolution is improving, IR in the Western world, the global digital divide has never been wider. Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) have the least advanced ICT infrastructure and service provision, and are also burdened with the majority of the world's health issues and severe shortages of health care workers. Initiatives utilizing mobile technology in healthcare and public health (mHealth) have shown potential at addressing these inequalities and challenges. Using Botswana as a reference point, this paper aims to broadly describe the healthcare and ICT challenges facing LMICs, the promise of mHealth as a field in health informatics, and then propose health informatics solutions that specifically address IR content and needs. One solution proposes utilizing Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) for accessing treatment guidelines, and the other solution outlines applications of smart devices for IR.

Sleep patterns in air traffic controllers working rapidly rotating shifts : a field study.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-04-01

This study was part of a research program in shift work and fatigue in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) environment. The purpose of the study was to investigate three different shift schedules in use at ATC facilities with respect to potential disruptio...

Preventing regime shifts on the Colorado Plateau: Application of ecological threshold concepts to land management decision making

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Investigating the mechanisms responsible for ecological thresholds is essential to understanding processes leading to ecosystem regime shifts. Dryland ecosystems are especially prone to threshold behavior wherein stressor-mediated alteration of patterns and processes can shift systems to alternative...