جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « Namibia » در نشریات گروه « پزشکی »

Kalahari truffle (Kalaharituber pfeilii) is found in the Kalahari desert and nearby regions (Africa). This study assessed the microbiological quality and safety, mycotoxins, and heavy metals contents of raw Kalahari truffle sold in Namibia.

Batches of Kalahari truffles were purchased from informal markets and different vendors in Namibia. Total aerobic, coliform, yeast, and moulds counts, and Salmonella were assessed. Also, some mycotoxins and heavy metals were determined. Data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics Software, Version 25.

Total aerobic count of unwashed truffles ranged from 4.4 to 7.3 log Colony Forming Unit (CFU)/g. Total coliform counts detected in truffles were 6.0 log CFU/g. Salmonella was not detected. Doxynivalenol was the most prevalent mycotoxin. Fumonisin B1 levels ranged from 17.4 to 142.1 µg/kg. Ochratoxin A levels in unwashed truffles ranged from 0.1 to 48.5 µg/kg. Total aflatoxin levels were 26.3 to 27.5 µg/kg, while zearalenone levels ranged from 45.0 to 9,680 µg/kg. The iron content was up to 746.72 mg/kg. Cadmium and zinc were detected in the studied samples, but mercury and nickel were no detectable in any samples.

The studied truffle samples were safe in terms of Salmonella, mercury, and nickel. However, some of the detected microorganisms, mycotoxins, and heavy metals in underprized Kalahari truffles may impair the safety, shelf life, and human health. Thus, they should be subjected to appropriate processing before consumption.DOI: 10.18502/jfqhc.9.1.9687

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among under‑fives. However, self‑medication and “self‑care” care practices remain common, especially among informal settlements in Namibia. Consequently, we sought to ascertain the rationale for this to guide the future activities.

Mixed method approach among residents in an informal settlement in Namibia to determine the extent of health-seeking behaviors and the rationale for any self-medication.

Of the 100 everyday households surveyed, 60% used self‑medication for ARIs in children under five including cold/ flu medication, paracetamol, and decongestants. There was no self‑purchasing of antibiotics. The main drivers of self-medication were a perceived diagnosis of ARI as “minor or mild” as well as long waiting times and queues to receive care at public health facilities.

The majority of households in this settlement self-medicate their children for ARIs. There are needs for outreach primary health care services in the future in townships to screen and appropriately manage ARI to address concerns. This can include increasing pharmacy services.

Meat inspection is one of the essential tools for ensuring good quality and safe meat. The objective of this study was to evaluate carcass condemnation of cattle slaughtered in Oshana region, North of Namibia.

In this 4-year retrospective study, causes, patterns, and economic implications of carcass condemnation of cattle slaughtered in Oshana region, North of Namibia were evaluated based on post-mortem inspection procedure. The SPSS software version 25 was used for statistical analysis.

Overall, 0.37% (120 out of 32 648) beef carcasses were condemned during the period of this study. The major causes of condemnation of carcasses were bruising (60 out of 120; 50%), followed by pus contamination. The condemnation rate in female cattle (65%) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than male cattle (35%). Overall, a significantly greater number (p<0.05) of carcasses were condemned in summer (74.2%) than in winter (25.8%).

This study identified bruising, pus contamination, and cachexia as the major causes of bovine carcass condemnation in North of Namibia and showed that carcass condemnation rate varied with the year, season, and age.DOI: 10.18502/jfqhc.7.4.4843

Prevalence of F&V consumption in Namibia is not known. In this study we aimed to address this gap by using nationally representative data with the objectives of measuring the prevalence of adequate F&V consumption among adult men and women and their socio demographic determinants.

This study is based on data from Namibia Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS2013). Sample population were 14 185 men and women aged between 15 and 49 years.Amount of fruit and vegetable consumption was measured by self-reported frequencies and was defined as adequate (at least 5 servings/day) according to World Health Organization (WHO)guidelines.

Overall, only 4.3% (3.8-4.9%) of the men and women reported consuming at least 5 servings of F&V a day, with the percentage being slightly higher among women (4.8%,95% CI=3.7-6.2) compared with men (4.2%, 95% CI=3.6-4.8). In the multivariable analysis,education level and household wealth status appeared to be the only factors associated with adequate F&V intake. Men and women who had primary level education had higher odds of eating at least 5 servings of F&V a day compared with those who had no education. Regarding wealth status, men and women from non-poor households had respectively 2.13 times(OR=2.13, 95% CI=1.01-4.48) and 2.2 times (OR=2.19, 95% CI=1.56-3.38) higher odds of eating at least 5 servings of F&V a day.

Only a small proportion of the men and women consumed adequate amount of F&V on daily basis. Having primary level education and non-poor household wealth status were positively associated with adequate amount of F&V intake

Improving maternal health is one of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aimed at improving maternal healthcare and reducing maternal mortality. The utilization of maternal health services is influenced by several factors that need to be better understood. The objective of this study was to estimate the role of socio-economic position as a determinant of the utilization of maternal health care in Namibia. Data were collected from the Namibia Demographic and Health Survey in 2006-2007, based on survey responses from 9,804 female respondents aged 15-49 years. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed accounting for socio-economic factors associated with the use of maternal health care services. The results from both bivariate and multivariate analyses confirmed the importance of education, wealth index, place of residence and marital status in explaining the utilization of maternal health care services. Wealth index was the only consistently significant predictor of all indicators of maternal health services; with other factors being significantly associated with one or more of the indicators. Women’s age and occupation showed inconclusive results in relation to access to maternal health care services. Several socio-economic factors significantly influence the three indicators of maternal health services utilization. Effective interventions need to take these factors into consideration and to explore means that increase maternal health service utilization especially among lowly educated and poor women in rural areas.