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African Region (african + region)
Kinds of African Region Selected AbstractsCommentary Regarding the Sub-Saharan African RegionJOURNAL OF NURSING SCHOLARSHIP, Issue 4 2003Naomi Mmapelo Seboni RN No abstract is available for this article. [source] Prevalence of overweight in the Seychelles: 15 year trends and association with socio-economic statusOBESITY REVIEWS, Issue 6 2008P. Bovet Summary We assessed the 15-year trends in the distribution of body mass index (BMI) and the prevalence of overweight in the Seychelles (Indian Ocean, African Region) and the relationship with socio-economic status (SES). Three population-based examination surveys were conducted in 1989, 1994 and 2004. Occupation was categorized as ,labourer', ,intermediate' or ,professional'. Education was also assessed in 1994 and 2004. Between 1989 and 2004, mean BMI increased markedly in all sex and age categories (overall: 0.16 kg m,2 per calendar year, which corresponds to 0.46 kg per calendar year). The prevalence of overweight (including obesity, BMI , 25 kg m,2) increased from 29% to 52% in men and from 50% to 67% in women. The prevalence of obesity (BMI , 30 kg m,2) increased from 4% to 15% in men and from 23% to 34% in women. Overweight was associated inversely with occupation in women and directly in men in all surveys. In multivariate analysis, overweight was associated similarly (direction and magnitude) to occupation and education. In conclusion, the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity over time in all age, sex and SES categories suggests large-scale changes in societal obesogenic factors. The sex-specific association of SES with overweight suggests that prevention measures should be tailored accordingly. [source] Associational links with home among Zimbabweans in the UK: reflections on long-distance nationalismsGLOBAL NETWORKS, Issue 2 2009JOANN MCGREGOR Abstract In this article, I provide an overview of the character of associations formed in Britain by Zimbabweans in the context of the mass exodus that gathered pace from the late 1990s. I discuss the politicization of the Zimbabwe diaspora, which infuses many aspects of associational life beyond specifically political organizations, and also emphasize the importance of Zimbabwean church fellowships. I offer an historical explanation for the strength of nationalism expressed in the diaspora and the absence of ,translocal' associations characteristic of other African diaspora groups, such as hometown associations, and explore reasons why burial societies, which have been centrally important for Zimbabwean migrants in other periods and contexts, are less prevalent in Britain. I build my argument on an historical discussion of continuities and changes in the associational forms characteristic of labour migrancy and urbanization within the southern African region. I emphasize the legacies of a strong segregationist settler state, the mobilizations and international solidarities of the protracted struggle for independence, the Christianization of elite African culture in Zimbabwe's cities, and the international politics of the recent multifaceted crisis. My discussion of the associational expression of ,long distance nationalisms' is based on interviews conducted in 2004,5, participation in diaspora meetings and events, and reading of diaspora media and websites. In the article I aim to highlight the specific social histories of association and the political context of diaspora formation, which are essential for understanding the nature of institutions connecting with home, and ideas about home itself. [source] Transnational organized crime in West Africa: the additional challengeINTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, Issue 6 2007ANTONIO L. MAZZITELLI Despite its vast natural and human resources and the undisputed progress made in the last decade towards the establishment of democratic culture and governing systems, West African countries continue to occupy the bottom ranks of the UN Human Development Index. Similarly, many of them score poorly in World Bank and Transparency International indexes that measure good governance. The international mass media have recently highlighted the role played by the West African region in the transatlantic cocaine trade, as well as in the flow of illegal migrants to Europe. Drugs and migrants are, however, just two of the numerous illicit activities that feed the growth of local and transnational criminal organizations, and the establishing of a culture of quick and easy money that is progressively eroding the foundations of any sustainable and well balanced socio-economic development. The pervasive power of the corruption of criminal organizations, coupled with a general crisis by state actors in the administration of justice and enforcement of the rule of law, contribute towards the progressive diminishing of the credibility of the state as the institution entrusted with the prerogatives of guaranteeing security (of people and investments) and dispensing justice. In this context, the case of Guinea Bissau is probably the clearest example of what West African states may face in the near future if the issues of justice and security are not properly and promptly addressed. If primary responsibilities lie with West African governments and institutions, the international community as a whole should also review its approach to development policies by not only mainstreaming the issues of security and justice in their bilateral and multilateral agendas, but also by making it an essential cornerstone of policies and programmes aimed at supporting good governance and the establishment of states ruled by the law. [source] Zoogeography of the southern African ascidian faunaJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 12 2004Carmen Primo Abstract Aim, To describe the biogeography of the ascidian fauna of southern Africa, to compare the results obtained with those reported for other fauna and flora of the same region, and to speculate about the origin of ascidians in the region. Location, Southern Africa extending over 4000 km from Mossâmedes (15° S,12° E) to Inhaca Island (26°30, S,33° E), including Vema Seamount (31°40, S,8 °20, E), Amsterdam-Saint Paul Islands (38° S,77°30, E) and the Tristan-Gough Islands (38° S,12°20, W). Methods, We constructed a presence/absence matrix of 168 species for 26 biogeographical divisions, 21 classical biogeographical regions described by Briggs (Marine zoogeography, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1974) and five provinces within the southern African region. We considered the following limits and divisions into provinces for the southern African region: Namibia, Namaqua, Agulhas and Natal as proposed by Branch et al. (Two oceans. A guide to the marine life of southern Africa, David Philip Publishers, 1994), and the West Wind Drift Islands province (WWD) according to Briggs (Global biogeography, Elsevier Health Sciences, Amsterdam, 1995). To examine the biogeographical structure, species and divisions were classified using cluster analysis (based on UPGMA as the aggregation algorithm) with the Bray,Curtis index of similarity. This classification was combined with MDS ordination. Main conclusions, Four main groups were obtained from the analysis of affinities among species: (1) species present in the WWD, separated by a high percentage of endemisms and a low number of species with a southern African distribution. Moreover, in the light of the species distribution and the results of further analysis, which revealed that they are completely separated and not at all related to the southern African region, it appears that there are no close relationships among the different islands and seamounts of the West Wind Drift Island province. This province was therefore removed from the remaining analyses; (2) species with a wide distribution; (3) species of colder waters present in Namaqua and Agulhas provinces, a transitional temperate area in which gradual mixing and replacement of species negate previous hypotheses on the existence of a marked distributional break at Cape of Good Hope; (4) species of warmer waters related to Natal province. The classification into biogeographical components was dominated by the endemic (47%), Indo-Pacific (25%) and cosmopolitan (13%) components. The analysis of affinities among biogeographical areas separated Namibia from the rest of the southern African provinces and showed that it was related to some extent to the Antarctic region because of the cold-temperate character of the province and the low sampling effort; Namaqua, Agulhas and Natal were grouped together and found to be closely related to the Indo-West Pacific region. In general, our results were consistent with those obtained for other southern African marine invertebrates. The frequency distribution of solitary/colonial strategies among provinces confirmed the domination of colonial organisms in tropical regions and solitary organisms in colder regions. Finally, we speculate that the southern African ascidian fauna mainly comprises Indo-Pacific, Antarctic and eastern Atlantic ascidians. [source] An overview of environmental issues in Southern AfricaAFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 2009Michael Bernard Kwesi Darkoh Abstract This paper provides an overview of some of the significant environmental problems in the Southern African region. The key problems highlighted are global warming and climate variability, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, desertification-land degradation, waste and littering, population growth, urbanization, pollution, poverty and health hazards. These problems present a challenge to governments and other players within and outside Southern Africa to seek for long-term solutions by addressing the root causes of these problems. The paper notes that although the environmental problems facing the Southern African region are being tackled at national, regional and international levels, there is more that can be done. At the national level, the different agencies and players, both within and outside government need to strengthen coordination and implementation of key interventions in different sectors in both rural and urban areas. At the African regional and international levels, there is a need to address geopolitical forces and issues that contribute to the underdevelopment of the African region. Among the major issues are poor terms of international trade, political instability, poverty, declining economic performance and international debt. [source] A conservation assessment of the freshwater crabs of southern Africa (Brachyura: Potamonautidae)AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2008Neil Cumberlidge Abstract Recent taxonomic revisions of the freshwater crabs of southern Africa (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe) allow accurate depictions of their diversity, distribution patterns and conservation status. The southern African region is home to nineteen species of freshwater crabs all belonging to the genus Potamonautes (family Potamonautidae). These crabs show high levels of species endemism (84%) to the southern African region and to the country of South Africa (74%). The conservation status of each species is assessed using the IUCN (2003) Red List criteria, based on detailed compilations of the majority of known specimens. The results indicate that one species should be considered vulnerable, fifteen species least concern and three species data deficient. The results have been utilized by the IUCN for Red Lists, and may prove useful when developing a conservation strategy for southern Africa's endemic freshwater crab fauna. Résumé De récentes révisions de la taxonomie des crabes d'eau douce d'Afrique australe (Afrique du Sud, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibie, Swaziland, Zambie et Zimbabwe) permettent des descriptions précises de leur diversité, de leur schéma de distribution et de leur statut de conservation. L'Afrique australe accueille 19 espèces de crabes d'eau douce qui appartiennent toutes au genre Potamonautes (famille des Potamonautidae). Ces crabes présentent un degréélevé d'endémisme spécifique (84%) pour la région de l'Afrique australe et pour l'Afrique du Sud elle-même (74%). Le statut de conservation de chaque espèce est évalué selon les critères de la Liste rouge de l'UICN (2003), en se basant sur des compilations détaillées de la majorité des spécimens connus. Les résultats montrent qu'une des espèces devrait être considérée comme «vulnérable», 15 autres comme «préoccupation mineure» et trois n'ont que des «données insuffisantes». Les résultats ont été utilisés par l'UICN pour la Liste rouge et peuvent s'avérer utiles pour le développement d'une stratégie de conservation pour la faune des crabes d'eau douce endémiques d'Afrique australe. [source] Martial Law and Military Power in the Construction of the South African State: Jan Smuts and the "Solid Guarantee of Force" 1899,1924JOURNAL OF HISTORICAL SOCIOLOGY, Issue 2 2009JONATHAN HYSLOP This paper seeks to provide a new approach to analysing the crucial period of the building of the South African state between the Boer War and 1924. Drawing on the sociology of Michael Mann, it argues that the construction of networks of military power was of central and partly autonomous importance in giving shape to the new state. It goes on to contend that this generated a legal order which was in many ways shaped by practices which derived from martial law. The paper also asserts that these questions of military power and martial law need to be analysed within a framework which does not limit itself to the boundaries of the South African state itself, but is placed within the wider context of the British Empire and the southern African region. A biographical exploration the role of Jan Smuts as the key leader is used to focus the paper's study of this process of state-making. [source] Predominant human herpesvirus 6 variant A infant infections in an HIV-1 endemic region of Sub-Saharan AfricaJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 5 2009Matthew Bates Abstract Human herpesvirus 6, HHV-6, commonly infects children, causing febrile illness and can cause more severe pathology, especially in an immune compromised setting. There are virulence distinctions between variants HHV-6A and B, with evidence for increased severity and neurotropism for HHV-6A. While HHV-6B is the predominant infant infection in USA, Europe and Japan, HHV-6A appears rare. Here HHV-6 prevalence, loads and variant genotypes, in asymptomatic compared to symptomatic infants were investigated from an African region with endemic HIV-1/AIDS. DNA was extracted from blood or sera from asymptomatic infants at 6 and 18 months age in a population-based micronutrient study, and from symptomatic infants hospitalised for febrile disease. DNA was screened by qualitative and quantitative real-time PCR, then genotyped by sequencing at variable loci, U46 (gN) and U47 (gO). HIV-1 serostatus of infants and mothers were also determined. HHV-6 DNA prevalence rose from 15% to 22% (80/371) by 18 months. At 6 months, infants born to HIV-1 positive mothers had lower HHV-6 prevalence (11%, 6/53), but higher HCMV prevalence (25%, 17/67). HHV-6 positive febrile hospitalized infants had higher HIV-1, 57% (4/7), compared to asymptomatic infants, 3% (2/74). HHV-6A was detected exclusively in 86% (48/56) of asymptomatic HHV-6 positive samples genotyped. Co-infections with both strain variants were linked with higher viral loads and found in 13% (7/56) asymptomatic infants and 43% (3/7) HIV-1 positive febrile infants. Overall, the results show HHV-6A as the predominant variant significantly associated with viremic infant-infections in this African population, distinct from other global cohorts, suggesting emergent infections elsewhere. J. Med. Virol. 81:779,789, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Geographic distribution and frequency of a taurine Bos taurus and an indicine Bos indicus Y specific allele amongst sub-Saharan African cattle breedsMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2000O. Hanotte Abstract We report for the first time, and for the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, the geographical distribution and the frequency of an indicine and a taurine Y specific allele amongst African cattle breeds. A total of 984 males from 69 indigenous African populations from 22 countries were analysed at the microsatellite locus INRA 124. The taurine allele is probably the oldest one on the continent. However, the taurine and the indicine alleles were present in 291 males (30%), and 693 males (70%), respectively. More particularly, 96% of zebu males (n = 470), 50% of taurine males (n = 263), 29% of sanga males (crossbreed Bos taurus × Bos indicus, n = 263) and 95% of zebu × sanga crossbred males (n = 56) had the indicine allele. The Borgou, a breed classified as zebu × taurine cross showed only the zebu allele (n = 12). The indicine allele dominates today in the Abyssinian region, a large part of the Lake Victoria region and the sahelian belt of West Africa. All the sanga males (n = 64) but only one from the Abyssinian region had the indicine allele. The taurine allele is the commonest only among the sanga breeds of the southern African region and the trypanotolerant taurine breeds of West Africa. In West Africa and in the southern Africa regions, zones of introgression were detected with breeds showing both Y chromosome alleles. Our data also reveal a pattern of male zebu introgression in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, probably originating from the Mozambique coast. The sanga cattle from the Lake Victoria region and the Kuri cattle of Lake Chad, cattle populations surrounded by zebu breeds were, surprisingly, completely devoid of the indicine allele. Human migration, phenotypic preferences by the pastoralists, adaptation to specific habitats and to specific diseases are the main factors explaining the present-day distribution of the alleles in sub-Saharan Africa. [source] African countries propose a regional oral health strategy: The Dakar Report from 1998ORAL DISEASES, Issue 3 2004NG Myburgh It is clear that the African region faces a number of serious oral diseases, either because of their high prevalence or because of the severe tissue damage or death that can occur. Previous approaches to oral health in Africa have failed to recognise the epidemiological priorities of the region or to identify reliable and appropriate strategies to assess them. Efforts have consisted of an unplanned, ad hoc and spasmodic evolution of curative oral health services. This document focuses on the most severe oral problems that people have to live with like noma, oral cancer and the oral consequences of HIV/AIDS infection. It proposes a strategy for assisting member states and partners to identify priorities and interventions at various levels of the health system, particularly at the district level. The strategy aims at strengthening the capacity of countries to improve community oral health by effectively using proven interventions to address specific oral health needs. The strategy identifies five main ,programmatic areas', including (i) the development of national oral health strategies and implementation plans, (ii) integration of oral health in other programmes, (iii) delivery of effective and safe oral health services, (iv) regional approach to education and training for oral health, and (v) development of effective oral health management information systems. Many of the programmatic areas share similar characteristics described as a ,strategic orientation'. These strategic orientations give effect to the concepts of advocacy, equity, quality, partnership, operational research, communication and capacity building. The WHO Regional Committee for Africa (RC) is invited to review the proposed oral health strategy for the African region for the period 1999,2008 and provide an orientation for the improvement of oral health in member states in the region. [source] Molecular characterisation of a coxsackievirus A24 that caused an outbreak of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis, Tunisia 2003CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 2 2007H. Triki Abstract This study reports the genetic characteristics of coxsackievirus A24 isolates from Tunisia, including a coxsackievirus A24 variant (CVA24v) that caused an outbreak of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) between September and November 2003. The virus genome was detected by PCR from conjunctival swabs obtained from patients with AHC. Four virus isolates were obtained from PCR-positive samples and were serotyped by sequence analysis of the VP1 and VP4 genomic region and by seroneutralisation. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP1, VP4 and 3C genomic regions was performed. Other Tunisian CVA24 isolates from paralytic cases and healthy individuals were also amplified, sequenced and included in the phylogenetic analysis. The epidemic strain belonged to the CVA24 serotype. Phylogenetic analysis of the 3C region of the genome revealed a strong relationship between the Tunisian epidemic strain and strains that caused outbreaks in Korea (2002) and Guadeloupe and French Guiana (2003). Phylogenetic analysis of the VP1 and VP4 regions showed a clear distinction between serotype CVA24 isolates from conjunctivitis and non-conjunctivitis cases. This is the first study to report an outbreak of AHC caused by CVA24v in the North African region. [source] |