University of Zimbabwe

About: University of Zimbabwe is a education organization based out in Harare, Harare, Zimbabwe. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The organization has 4378 authors who have published 6800 publications receiving 160720 citations. The organization is also known as: UZ & University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

Trends in savanna structure and composition along an aridity gradient in the Kalahari

Abstract: The Kalahari sand sheet occupies 2.5 million ha in southern Africa. It is an area with relatively similar deep aeolian soils, and a strong south to north gradient in rainfall, from 200 to 1000 mm mean annual precipitation (MAP) in the region studied. This provides an excellent basis for gradient studies at the subcontinental scale. This paper briefly reviews the literature on the vegetation of the Kalahari and describes the vegetation structure and composition at 11 new sites. There is a clear gradient in woody plant biomass (as indexed by basal area) from south to north. Above the minimum level of 200 mm MAP, the woody basal area increases at a rate of ca. 2.5 m2.ha−1 per 100 mm MAP. Mean maximum tree height also increases along the gradient, reaching 20 m at ca. 800 mm MAP. The number of species to contribute > 95% of the woody basal area increases from one at 200 mm to 16 at 1000 mm MAP. Members of the Mimosaceae (mainly Acacia) dominate the tree layer up to 400 mm MAP. They are replaced by ei...

Assessment of the impacts of pit latrines on groundwater quality in rural areas: a case study from marondera district, zimbabwe

Abstract: In resource-poor and low-population-density areas, on-site sanitation is preferred to off-site sanitation and groundwater is the main source of water for domestic uses. Groundwater pollution potential from on-site sanitation in such areas conflicts with Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles that advocate for sustainable use of water resources. Given the widespread use of groundwater for domestic purposes in rural areas, maintaining groundwater quality is a critical livelihood intervention. This study assessed impacts of pit latrines on groundwater quality in Kamangira village, Marondera district, Zimbabwe. Groundwater samples from 14 monitoring boreholes and 3 shallow wells were analysed during 6 sampling campaigns, from February 2005 to May 2005. Parameters analysed were total and faecal coliforms, NH 4 + – N , NO 3 - – N , conductivity, turbidity and pH, both for boreholes and shallow wells. Total and faecal coliforms both ranged 0-TNTC (too-numerous-to-count), 78% of results meeting the 0 CFU/100 ml WHO guidelines value. NH 4 + – N range was 0–2.0 mg/l, with 99% of results falling below the 1.5 mg/l WHO recommended value. NO 3 - – N range was 0.0–6.7 mg/l, within 10 mg/l WHO guidelines value. The range for conductivity values was 46–370 μS/cm while the pH range was 6.8–7.9. There are no WHO guideline values for these two parameters. Turbidity ranged from 1 NTU to 45 NTU, 59% of results meeting the 5 NTU WHO guidelines limit. Depth from the ground surface to the water table for the period February 2005 to May 2005 was determined for all sampling points using a tape measure. The drop in water table averaged from 1.1 m to 1.9 m and these values were obtained by subtracting water table elevations from absolute ground surface elevation. Soil from the monitoring boreholes was classified as sandy. The soil infiltration layer was taken as the layer between the pit latrine bottom and the water table. It averaged from 1.3 m to 1.7 m above the water table for two latrines and 2–3.2 m below it for one pit latrine. A questionnaire survey revealed the prevalence of diarrhoea and structural failure of latrines. Results indicated that pit latrines were microbiologically impacting on groundwater quality up to 25 m lateral distance. Nitrogen values were of no immediate threat to health. The shallow water table increased pollution potential from pit latrines. Raised and lined pit latrines and other low-cost technologies should be considered to minimize potential of groundwater pollution.

The Shona Symptom Questionnaire: the development of an indigenous measure of common mental disorders in Harare

Abstract: The objective of this study was to develop an indigenous measure of common mental disorders (CMD) in the Shona language in Zimbabwe. Ethnographic and qualitative studies elicited idioms of distress of mental disorder leading to the preliminary Shona Symptom Questionnaire (SSQ), and items from the Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ) were added to it. The 56-item Preliminary Shona Symptom Questionnaire (PSSQ) was administered to 302 randomly selected primary care attenders, of whom 100 were classified as cases on the basis of agreement between care provider assessment and a psychiatric interview. Discriminant analysis identified 14 items that were the strongest predictors of mental disorder. The 14-item SSQ has a high level of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.85). The items are a mixture of emic and etic phenomena. The total score correlates strongly with patients' self-assessment of the emotional nature of their illness. Satisfactory specificity and sensitivity occurred at a cut-off point of 7/8. The SSQ is the first indigenous measure of mental disorder developed in sub-Saharan Africa to have included idioms or distress of primary care attenders and involved patients consulting traditional medical practitioners. It promises to be a useful instrument for epidemiological and clinical research. The methodology used is an innovative way of combining etic and emic methods in the evaluation of CMD.

Tuberculosis Diagnostics and Biomarkers: Needs, Challenges, Recent Advances, and Opportunities

Abstract: Tuberculosis is unique among the major infectious diseases in that it lacks accurate rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests. Failure to control the spread of tuberculosis is largely due to our inability to detect and treat all infectious cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in a timely fashion, allowing continued Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission within communities. Currently recommended gold-standard diagnostic tests for tuberculosis are laboratory based, and multiple investigations may be necessary over a period of weeks or months before a diagnosis is made. Several new diagnostic tests have recently become available for detecting active tuberculosis disease, screening for latent M. tuberculosis infection, and identifying drug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis. However, progress toward a robust point-of-care test has been limited, and novel biomarker discovery remains challenging. In the absence of effective prevention strategies, high rates of early case detection and subsequent cure are required for global tuberculosis control. Early case detection is dependent on test accuracy, accessibility, cost, and complexity, but also depends on the political will and funder investment to deliver optimal, sustainable care to those worst affected by the tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus epidemics. This review highlights unanswered questions, challenges, recent advances, unresolved operational and technical issues, needs, and opportunities related to tuberculosis diagnostics.

HIV infection and reproductive health in teenage women orphaned and made vulnerable by AIDS in Zimbabwe.

Abstract: AIDS has increased the number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) in sub-Saharan Africa who could suffer detrimental life experiences. We investigated whether OVCs have heightened risks of adverse reproductive health outcomes including HIV infection. Data on HIV infection, sexually transmitted infection (STI) symptoms and pregnancy, and common risk factors were collected for OVCs and non-OVCs in a population survey of 1523 teenage children in eastern Zimbabwe between July 2001 and March 2003. Multivariate logistic regression was used to test for statistical association between OVC status, adverse reproductive health outcomes and suspected risk factors. Amongst women aged 15–18 years, OVCs had higher HIV prevalence than non-OVCs (3.2% versus 0.0%; p=0.002) and more common experience of STI symptoms (5.9% versus 3.3%; adjusted odds ratio = 1.75, 95% CI 0.80–3.80) and teenage pregnancy (8.3% versus 1.9%; 4.25, 1.58–11.42). OVCs (overall), maternal orphans and young women with an infected paren...