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Assessing the role of community involvement and capacity building in larviciding applications for malaria control in Africa: A scoping review
(Elsevier, 2025-08-14) Shirima, GloriaSalome; Masserey, Thiery; Gervas, Hamenyimana; Chitnis, Nakul; Kiware, Samson; Mirau, Silas
Larviciding offers a supplementary approach in malaria vector control, particularly when applied through
community engagement and capacity building. A scoping review was performed to evaluate existing larviciding
delivery mechanisms and their impacts on African malaria control. A scoping review was conducted following
the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The search strategy utilized Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and free-text terms
related to “malaria”, “larvicide”, “community engagement” and “mosquito control”. The databases PubMed,
Scopus, and Embase were searched for relevant literature published until December 2024. Inclusion criteria
focused on studies addressing community engagement in delivering larviciding within African settings. After
applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 32 papers were ultimately included in the analysis. The studies
spanned 13 African countries, primarily in sub-Saharan regions, with findings indicating that larviciding
significantly reduced mosquito density and, in some cases, malaria incidence. Community engagement strategies
varied, with workshops and participatory meetings targeting various stakeholders to enhance awareness and
ownership of larviciding programmes. Community engagement and capacity building were critical to success-
fully implementing larviciding programmes. While challenges, such as logistical barriers, lack of awareness, and
financial constraints, persist, integrating technological innovations and strengthening monitoring systems can
enhance the sustainability of these efforts.
Conservation Letters LETTER Beneficial Spillover Effects of Antipredation Interventions Support Human–Carnivore Coexistence
(Wiley Periodicals, 2025-01-20) Salerno, Jonathan; Warrier, Rekha; Breck, Stewart; Carter, Neil; Berger, Joel; Barrett, Brendan; Lukumay, Justine; Kaduma, Joseph; Grau, Ana; Dickman, Amy; Crooks, Kevin
Reducing human–wildlife conflict is critical for global biodiversity conservation and supporting livelihoods in landscapes where
people and wildlife co-occur. Interventions intended to reduce conflicts and their negative outcomes are diverse and widespread,
yet there is often a dearth of empirical evidence regarding effectiveness, particularly at appropriate spatiotemporal scales. We
investigate an underappreciated question relevant to large carnivore–livestock systems globally regarding spillover effects of anti-
conflict interventions: Do fortified livestock enclosures modify carnivore predation on livestock for neighbors who lack such
interventions? We use ca. 25,000 monthly reports from agropastoralists in an East African landscape critical for large carnivore
conservation. Results from Bayesian multilevel statistical models demonstrate robust effects of fortified livestock enclosures in
reducing reported predation not only in target households, but also in neighboring households that lack such fortification—a
beneficial spillover effect. Results provide empirical evidence for policy and practice regarding tools to reduce large carnivore
conflicts while pointing to the important role of complex-systems processes in determining coexistence outcomes.
A multi-scale approach for integrating species distribution models with landscape connectivity to identify critical linkage zones for African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana)
(Elsevier, 2025-05-27) Song, Lei; Frazier, Amy; Estes, Anna; Estes, Lyndon
The populations of African savanna elephants have declined by an estimated 60 % since the 1970s, which can be
attributed to a mixture of poaching and habitat loss. Human activities and environmental changes have caused
unprecedented loss and fragmentation of elephant natural habitats, resulting in the isolation of elephant pop-
ulations. Preserving habitat connectivity is thus increasingly important to conserve remaining elephants’ pop-
ulations and maintain ecological functions. A major challenge in large-scale connectivity modeling is data
availability constraints. To tackle this issue, we developed an integrated modeling approach that leverages
multiple, publicly available occurrence datasets, which vary in format and quality, with a multi-scale SDM to
estimate spatial suitability of African savanna elephants. Two SDMs, based on polygon-based observations and
presence-only occurrences, were separately calibrated using the Isolation Forest algorithm and then ensembled
using Bayes fusion. Particularly, we included multiple landscape metrics derived from a high-resolution (~5 m)
land cover map as environmental predictors in the SDMs to characterize the landscape structure influencing
elephant movement. The resulting environmental suitability was then used to map landscape connectivity
through circuit theory, implemented in Circuitscape. Using species distribution modeling (SDM) and graph-based
landscape connectivity modeling, we aimed to understand population connectivity and target vital corridors
across Tanzania, one of the most important elephant range states. Shapley value-based variable analysis in SDM
revealed that human modifications strongly influence elephant distribution at broad scales, while habitat frag-
mentation and connectivity impact their activities. Connectivity results further highlighted that both long- and
short-distance connectivity are currently facing significant threats from intensive human activities (e.g., agri-
culture) in Tanzania and identified critical linkage zones that should be targeted for connectivity conservation
efforts.
Factors Contributing to Retention in Care and Treatment Adherence Among People Living With HIV Returning to Care in South-Eastern Tanzania: A Qualitative Study
(HIV/AIDS - Research and Palliative Care, 2025-02-25) Matimbwa, Hassan; LoloSarah; Matoy,Leila
Globally, 84.2 million people have been infected with HIV/AIDS since the pandemic began more than three decades ago.1 According to the UNAIDS Global Report of 2023 currently 39 million people are living with HIV (PLHIV), while more than 40 million have died from HIV-related diseases.2 Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region hit hardest with 3.4% of adults living with HIV, accounting for approximately two-thirds of all cases globally.3 In Tanzania, one person with HIV lives in 11.8% of urban and 8.7% of rural households.4 The Tanzania HIV impact survey 2022–23 reported an HIV prevalence of 4.4% with 1,548,000 adult PLHIV, higher in women (5.6%) compared to men (3.0%).5 Of 1.5 million adult PLHIV in Tanzania, 82% know their status, 98% receive treatment, and 94% are virally suppressed.5
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the most effective strategy for the prevention and treatment of HIV. The use of ART has resulted in a significant decrease in HIV-associated comorbidities and risk of HIV-related death.6–8 In addition, proper use of ART improves HIV patients’ well-being, suppresses viral load, and reduces HIV transmission risk, thus serving as a key prevention strategy9,10 A significant challenge is patient attrition on ART, which increases the risk of adverse health outcomes and hinders global HIV control.10,11 Retention in care is critical to ensure ART adherence, viral suppression, and prevention of HIV drug resistance.12–14 Several associated factors influence PLHIV to remain in care, including clinical, sociocultural, economic, and health systems aspects, as well as geographical and other contextual factors.15,16 Other factors contribute to poor treatment adherence and care, including fear of side effects, alcohol and substance abuse, stigma, distance from the clinic, and poverty.6,14,17–20
Experiences from the Kilombero and Ulanga Antiretroviral Cohort (KIULARCO) show the complex care cascade in a rural setting in South-eastern Tanzania21,22 with periods with poor drug adherence contributing to poor treatment outcomes.23 Efforts to improve HIV treatment adherence such as training communication skills among healthcare providers as been shown to improve treatment outcomes.22 However, attrition to care remains a major challenge15 with a high loss to follow-up (LTFU) rate of 21%-41%, whereby half of LTFU participants return to care at a later time point.24
Patients returning to care are an important group, as we can learn from them the reasons for dropping out and returning to care, as well as reasons for interrupting drug intake.25,26 Knowing these factors allows for the design of effective interventions that can improve retention in care and drug adherence27 and can be addressed by qualitative research.28 Re-engagement programs successfully led to the return of patients lost to follow-up.29,30 The role of family or treatment supporters is to support PLHIV to adhere to treatment and retention in care through emotional, social, and practical support.31,32
In this study, we explored factors associated with dropping out from and returning to care, remaining in care, and treatment adherence among PLHIV, who returned to care after missing clinical visits for more than 3 months and with an irregular ART intake since the last clinical visit in South-eastern Tanzania. In addition, we interviewed participants’ treatment supporters and healthcare workers (HCWs) involved in their care.
Development Of A Web-Based System To Enhance Monitoring Laboratory Order And Result Dissemination A Case Study Of Softmed Company Limited
(NM-AIST, 2025-08) Abashe, Japheth
Laboratory testing plays a critical role in clinical decision-making and patient care. However, in many healthcare settings, especially in developing countries, laboratory order management remains manual and paper-based, leading to inefficiencies, errors, and delays in result dissemination. These challenges compromise the quality of care and timely treatment decisions. Despite existing studies highlighting errors in laboratory workflows, especially in the pre-analytical phase, few interventions target private, multi-hospital laboratory services in Tanzania. This study aimed to improve operational efficiency and result dissemination at SoftMed, a private pathology laboratory in Arusha, Tanzania, through the development of a web-based laboratory order and result dissemination system. The system was designed to automate test acquisition, streamline inter-facility coordination, and reduce operational bottlenecks. A qualitative approach was used, involving interviews and system validation by six clinical and laboratory staff directly involved in lab order processes. Development followed the Agile Extreme Programming (XP) methodology, using Angular for the web interface, Laravel for the backend, and MySQL for data storage. Validation assessed improvements in turnaround time, communication, and error reduction. Results indicated notable improvements in workflow efficiency, reduced turnaround time, and enhanced communication between healthcare providers and lab staff. Although the validation sample was limited, feedback confirmed the system's operational effectiveness in the specific private lab context. This study contributes practical evidence supporting lab workflow automation in Tanzania’s private healthcare sector and recommends futureintegration with electronic medical records (EMRs) for comprehensive health information management.