Draft genome sequence of Kei apple, an underutilized African tree crop.

To address food and nutrition security in the face of burgeoning global populations and erratic climatic conditions there is a need to include nutrient dense, climatic resilient but neglected indigenous fruit trees in agrifood systems. Here we present the draft genome sequence of Kei Apple, Dovyalis afra, a neglected indigenous African fruit tree with untapped potential to contribute to nutrient security and improved livelihoods. Our long-read-based genome assembly comprises 440 Mbp sequence across 1190 contigs with a N50 and L50 of 13.

Mixed method analysis of anthropogenic groundwater contamination of drinking water sources in Malawi.

Groundwater contamination poses significant challenges to public health and sustainable development in Malawi, where approximately 80 % of the population relies on groundwater sources for drinking water. This study investigates the presence and drivers of nitrate and E. coli contamination in groundwater used for drinking.

Assessing the relation between academic talent mobility and academic output.

There is a great controversy between academic talent mobility and academic output. This paper obtains the list of mobile academic talents (experimental group) from NSF. It matches them into the control group list according to the indicators of an academic institution, department, research direction, entry time, age, and NSF fund obtained in the near year.

Young people's lived sexual and reproductive health citizenship: participation and power of youth in Malawi.

This qualitative, focused critical ethnographic study explores how young people's 'lived SRH citizenship' and their active roles realising their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and rights, shape their agency and participation in decision-making in Malawi. Informed by postcolonial feminist and difference-centred citizenship theories, our findings reveal that age-based power differentials, systems of gerontocracy and a culture of adultism impede bona fide youth involvement in SRH policymaking, making young citizens' participation more of an illusion than reality. Although democratisation and decentralisation aim to promote youth engagement, SRH policy spaces/processes lack institutionalised processes for integrating youth and remain dominated by donors and government.

Grain yellowness is an effective predictor of carotenoid content in global sorghum populations.

Identification of high carotenoid germplasm is crucial to assist breeders in provitamin-A biofortification of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench). High-performance liquid chromatography is the gold standard for carotenoid quantification, however, it is not feasible for large scale phenotyping due to its high cost and low throughput.

Preserving cultural heritage: A community-centric approach to safeguarding the Khulubvi Traditional Temple Malawi.

The study investigates cultural heritage conservation through community-based participatory research, focusing on preserving the Khulubvi Traditional Temple. It addresses challenges from religious, societal, and economic changes and the importance of integrating heritage into education. It emphasizes technology's role in maintaining sacred narratives.

Assessing farmers' knowledge of environmental policy along the Ayeyarwady River: Strides towards the Indian Ocean marine life safety.

The Ayeyarwady River Basin in Myanmar is grappling with severe environmental challenges, including soil erosion and water pollution, primarily driven by unsustainable agricultural practices. This study aims to evaluate farmers' awareness of environmental policies and identify barriers to their effective implementation. In-depth interviews were conducted with 45 stakeholders, encompassing farmers, government officials, and researchers.

carriage by geckos detected within households in Malawi.

was isolated from 23/79 (29.1%) pooled gecko stool samples from households in southern Malawi. Whole genome sequencing of 47 individual isolates within this collection revealed 27 serovars spanning two subspecies.

Unraveling agricultural water pollution despite an ecological policy in the Ayeyarwady Basin.

Background: The Ayeyarwady Basin in Myanmar, a critical economic zone, faces severe ecological degradation due to unsustainable agricultural practices. These practices pose significant threats to human health and marine biodiversity. Environmental threats persist despite the Myanmar government's efforts to implement biodiversity protection policies.

Cyclical heat stress during lactation influences the microstructure of the bovine mammary gland.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of heat stress on mammary epithelial cell (MEC) losses into milk, secretory mammary tissue structure, and mammary epithelial cell activity. Sixteen multiparous Holstein cows (632 ± 12 kg BW) approximately 100 DIM housed in climate-controlled rooms were paired by BW and randomly allocated to one of 2 treatments, heat stress (HS) or pair-feeding thermoneutral (PFTN) using 2 cohorts. Each cohort was subjected to 2 periods of 4 d each.

Evaluation of knowledge, attitude, practices and effectiveness of menstrual hygiene interventions in rural schools from Lilongwe, Malawi.

Background: Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is associated with the menstrual process in women and adolescent girls who face cultural and financial challenges in rural areas of many developing countries. As part of the pilot study, we assessed the sustainability and effectiveness of the approaches and lessons learned from the MHM project intervention in rural areas of Lilongwe, Malawi.

Methods: Rural primary schools (n = 4) were purposively selected where an MHM intervention was implemented in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Unraveling substance abuse among Malawian street children: A qualitative exploration.

This qualitative study adopts a phenomenological and symbolic interactionist approach to comprehensively explore substance abuse among street children in Lilongwe, Malawi. The research aims to uncover the complex sociocultural, economic, and environmental determinants influencing substance abuse within this marginalized cohort. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews, the study engages with street children to understand their subjective experiences, perceptions, and interpretations of substance abuse within their community context.

An ensemble model predicts an upward range shift of the endemic and endangered Yellow-throated Apalis () under future climate change in Malawi.

Climate change poses a significant threat to endemic and endangered montane bird species with limited elevation and temperature ranges. Understanding their responses to changes in climate is essential for informing conservation actions. This study focused on the montane dwelling Yellow-throated Apalis () in Malawi, aiming to identify key factors affecting its distribution and predicting its potential distribution under different climate change scenarios.

The profile of people undergoing lower limb amputations at Groote Schuur Hospital.

Background: The annual incidence of lower limb amputations (LLA) at Groote Schuur Hospital is rising gradually. However, little is known about the sociodemographic and clinical profiles of people undergoing these limb amputations.

Objectives: To collect and analyse data to describe the sociodemographic, health and amputation profiles of people who have undergone LLA at Groote Schuur Hospital.

Prevalence of Endemic Respiratory Viruses During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Urban and Rural Malawi.

Background: We investigated endemic respiratory virus circulation patterns in Malawi, where no lockdown was imposed, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Within a prospective household cohort in urban and rural Malawi, adult participants provided upper respiratory tract (URT) samples at 4 time points between February 2021 and April 2022. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and other endemic respiratory viruses.

A Scoping Review Protocol of Social Determinants of HIV/TB Coinfections in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remain major public health issues in sub-Saharan Africa. The co-occurrence of these diseases is a growing concern in the region, and social determinants, the circumstances under which people are born, live, work, and age, are known to influence the risk of disease transmission, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. Here, we present a protocol for the evidence synthesis on the social determinants of HIV/TB coinfections in sub-Saharan Africa.

"I Have to Do It in Secrecy": Provider Perspectives on HIV Service Delivery and Quality of Care for Key Populations in Zambia.

Key populations (KPs) experience suboptimal outcomes along the HIV care and prevention continua, but there is limited study of the challenges service providers encounter delivering HIV services to KPs, particularly in settings like Zambia, where provision of these services remains legally ambiguous. Seventy-seven providers completed in-depth interviews exploring constraints to HIV service delivery for KPs and recommendations for improving access and care quality. Thematic analysis identified salient challenges and opportunities to service delivery and quality of care for KPs, spanning interpersonal, institutional, and structural domains.

Waist circumference and glycaemia are strong predictors of progression to diabetes in individuals with prediabetes in sub-Saharan Africa: 4-year prospective cohort study in Malawi.

Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to have the highest increase in the number of people with diabetes worldwide. However, the drivers of diabetes in this region have not been clearly elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of diabetes and the predictors of progression in a population-based cohort with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in Malawi.

The African Goat Improvement Network: a scientific group empowering smallholder farmers.

The African Goat Improvement Network (AGIN) is a collaborative group of scientists focused on genetic improvement of goats in small holder communities across the African continent. The group emerged from a series of workshops focused on enhancing goat productivity and sustainability. Discussions began in 2011 at the inaugural workshop held in Nairobi, Kenya.

Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on HIV testing services in Malawi: an interrupted time series analysis.

: Restrictions on public gatherings and movement to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 may have disrupted access and availability of HIV services in Malawi. We quantified the impact of these restrictions on HIV testing services in Malawi.: We conducted an interrupted time series analysis of routine aggregated programme data from 808 public and private, adult and paediatric health facilities across rural and urban communities in Malawi between January 2018 and March 2020 (pre-restrictions) and April to December 2020 (post restrictions), with April 2020 as the month restrictions took effect.

The Cost of Providing Comprehensive HIV Services to Key Populations: An Analysis of the LINKAGES Program in Kenya and Malawi.

Introduction: Timely data on HIV service costs are critical for estimating resource needs and allocating funding, but few data exist on the cost of HIV services for key populations (KPs) at higher risk of HIV infection in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to estimate the total and per contact annual cost of providing comprehensive HIV services to KPs to inform planning and budgeting decisions.

Methods: We collected cost data from the Linkages across the Continuum of HIV Services for Key Populations Affected by HIV (LINKAGES) program in Kenya and Malawi serving female and male sex workers, men who have sex with men, and transgender women.

Impact of ethnic identity and geographical home location on student academic performance.

Situated against the backdrop of a politically fueled ethnic hate between the Northern Region and the rest, this study exposes the relationship between the students' regions of origin and their academic performance in Malawian higher education to contribute to appropriate student support and healthy study habits. Spearman's rHO indicated weak but statistically significant correlations between one's home region and academic performance. Kruskal Wallis Test (N = 20,263) revealed that no single region outperforms others.

Surveillance of Viral Respiratory Infections in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit-Evolution in the Last 5 Years.

Viral respiratory infections (VRIs) in very low birthweight infants can be associated with high rates of morbidity. The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted a strong impact on viral circulation. The purpose of this study is to report on VRIs during NICU admission in infants below 32 weeks' gestation and compare data collected between the pre-and post-COVID-19 pandemic periods.

Estimating the cost of HIV services for key populations provided by the LINKAGES program in Kenya and Malawi.

Background: Data remain scarce on the costs of HIV services for key populations (KPs). The objective of this study was to bridge this gap in the literature by estimating the unit costs of HIV services delivered to KPs in the LINKAGES program in Kenya and Malawi. We estimated the mean total unit costs of seven clinical services: post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), HIV testing services (HTS), antiretroviral therapy (ART), sexually transmitted infection (STI) services, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, and management of sexual violence (MSV).