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Full-Text Articles in Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health
A Qualitative Study Of Nimbyism For Waste In Smaller Urban Areas Of A Low-Income Country, Mzuzu, Malawi, Rochelle H. Holm, Brighton A. Chunga, Adrian Mallory, Paul Hutchings, Alison Parker
A Qualitative Study Of Nimbyism For Waste In Smaller Urban Areas Of A Low-Income Country, Mzuzu, Malawi, Rochelle H. Holm, Brighton A. Chunga, Adrian Mallory, Paul Hutchings, Alison Parker
Faculty Scholarship
When waste management infrastructure is built, there can be resistance from the local affected populations, often termed the Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) phenomenon. This study aims to understand the forms of resistance that may develop in such contexts, focusing on 2 solid waste and 1 liquid waste management site within Mzuzu City, Malawi. At the newest solid waste site, community resistance had grown to the extent that the site was reportedly destroyed by the local community. Interviews and observations of the sites are complemented by examining historic and recent satellite images. It was found that, at the new solid …
Drinking Water Quality And Human Dimensions Of Cholera Patients To Inform Evidence-Based Prevention Investment In Karonga District, Malawi, Prince Kaponda, Suresh Muthukrishnan, Rory Barber, Rochelle H. Holm
Drinking Water Quality And Human Dimensions Of Cholera Patients To Inform Evidence-Based Prevention Investment In Karonga District, Malawi, Prince Kaponda, Suresh Muthukrishnan, Rory Barber, Rochelle H. Holm
Faculty Scholarship
Cholera remains a problem in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Malawi. Our aim was to investigate drinking water source quality compared with water treatment, risk perception and cholera knowledge for patients who had reported to a health center for treatment in the 2017-2018 outbreak in Karonga District, Malawi. The study analyzed 120 drinking water samples linked to 236 cholera patients. Nearly 82% of the samples met the national criteria for thermotolerant coliforms of 50 cfu/100 ml, while 50% met the more stringent World Health Organization criteria of 0 cfu/100 ml. In terms of the human dimensions, 68% of survey respondents reported …
Food Safety Policies And Practices In Public Spaces: The Urban Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene Environment For Fresh Fish Sold From Individual Vendors In Mzuzu, Malawi, Jazimoni Lazaro, Fanuel Kapute, Rochelle H. Holm
Food Safety Policies And Practices In Public Spaces: The Urban Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene Environment For Fresh Fish Sold From Individual Vendors In Mzuzu, Malawi, Jazimoni Lazaro, Fanuel Kapute, Rochelle H. Holm
Faculty Scholarship
In sub-Saharan Africa, informal markets account for more than 80% of the total food selling. Fish is a major protein source for households in Malawi and is commonly purchased from individual vendors. The aim of this study was to review national acts and policies and local regulations focused on fresh fish sold at open-air markets or by mobile vendors and to further examine the water, sanitation, and hygiene environment that may impact food safety in Mzuzu City, Malawi. The study used interviews, an observational checklist, and sampling of water and fish skin. In general, there was limited oversight of food …
Do Rope And Washer Pumps Provide Safe Water And Satisfied Users? A Case Study Piloting New Rural Water Supply Technology In Rumphi District, Malawi, Jacob C. Mkandawire, Mavuto Tembo, Muthi Nhlema, Joel Luhanga, Rochelle H. Holm
Do Rope And Washer Pumps Provide Safe Water And Satisfied Users? A Case Study Piloting New Rural Water Supply Technology In Rumphi District, Malawi, Jacob C. Mkandawire, Mavuto Tembo, Muthi Nhlema, Joel Luhanga, Rochelle H. Holm
Faculty Scholarship
Innovation is needed to develop rural water supply to support sub-Saharan Africa communities that are hard to reach. The purpose of this study was to critically review rope and washer pumps that have been installed on manually drilled boreholes in 48 communities as part of a pilot project in Rumphi District, Malawi, and which serve as a sustainable source of drinking water from both technical (water quality and functionality) and social (user satisfaction) perspectives. At each water source, an infrastructure checklist was used (n = 48); 10 users were interviewed (n = 472); and, if the pump had water, water …
Can A Precast Pit Latrine Concrete Floor Withstand Emptying Operations? An Investigation From Malawi, Joshua Mchenga, Rochelle H. Holm
Can A Precast Pit Latrine Concrete Floor Withstand Emptying Operations? An Investigation From Malawi, Joshua Mchenga, Rochelle H. Holm
Faculty Scholarship
For fecal sludge from households in low- and middle-income countries to be treated offsite it needs to be removed, which can be greatly affected by the pit latrine floor design. However, it is unclear whether precast pit latrine concrete floors (latrine slabs) can withstand emptiers and their equipment. To investigate this issue, 28 prefabricated latrine slabs were purchased in two cities of Malawi. They were first visually evaluated, and then their compression strength was tested. Additionally, each seller was asked a series of questions to better understand their business, training, and construction practices. Results showed that households should perform due …
A Cluster-Randomized Trial To Evaluate The Impact Of An Inclusive, Community-Led Total Sanitation Intervention On Sanitation Access For People With Disabilities In Malawi, Adam Biran, Lisa Danquah, Joseph Chunga, Wolf Peter Schmidt, Rochelle Holm, Ambumulire Itimu-Phiri, Wales Singini, Hazel Jones, Hannah Kuper, Sian White
A Cluster-Randomized Trial To Evaluate The Impact Of An Inclusive, Community-Led Total Sanitation Intervention On Sanitation Access For People With Disabilities In Malawi, Adam Biran, Lisa Danquah, Joseph Chunga, Wolf Peter Schmidt, Rochelle Holm, Ambumulire Itimu-Phiri, Wales Singini, Hazel Jones, Hannah Kuper, Sian White
Faculty Scholarship
Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) is a common method for promoting sanitation in low-income settings. This cluster-randomized trial evaluated an intervention to improve inclusion of people with disability in CLTS through training facilitators. A qualitative study examined intervention acceptability. The trial included 171 people with disabilities (78 control and 93 intervention) living in 15 intervention and 15 control communities. In the intervention arm, respondents were more likely to participate in a community meeting about sanitation (+18.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.2, 34.2) and to have been visited to discuss sanitation (+19.7, 95% CI: 0.6, 37.8). More intervention households improved latrine access …
Characterization Of Pit Latrines To Support The Design And Selection Of Emptying Tools In Peri-Urban Mzuzu, Malawi, Rashid Chiposa, Rochelle H. Holm, Chimuleke Munthali, Russel C.G. Chidya, Francis L. De Los Reyes
Characterization Of Pit Latrines To Support The Design And Selection Of Emptying Tools In Peri-Urban Mzuzu, Malawi, Rashid Chiposa, Rochelle H. Holm, Chimuleke Munthali, Russel C.G. Chidya, Francis L. De Los Reyes
Faculty Scholarship
The urban areas of many low-income countries must balance a rising demand for pit latrines for household sanitation provision against limitations in space, resulting in a need for pit latrine emptying services. This study was undertaken in the peri-urban neighborhood of Area 1B in the city of Mzuzu, Malawi, to examine the characteristics of household pit latrines for designing and selecting pit latrine emptying tools. We used 150 structured household surveys and field observations. From this, a subset was selected and 30 manual cone penetrometer tests were conducted at full latrines. Chemical oxygen demand analysis was also performed for 14 …
Adopters And Non-Adopters Of Low-Cost Household Latrines: A Study Of Corbelled Pit Latrines In 15 Districts Of Malawi, Rochelle Holm, Mavuto Tembo, Dalo Njera, Victor Kasulo, Mphatso Malota, Willy Chipeta, Wales Singini, Joshua Mchenga
Adopters And Non-Adopters Of Low-Cost Household Latrines: A Study Of Corbelled Pit Latrines In 15 Districts Of Malawi, Rochelle Holm, Mavuto Tembo, Dalo Njera, Victor Kasulo, Mphatso Malota, Willy Chipeta, Wales Singini, Joshua Mchenga
Faculty Scholarship
The Sustainable Development Goals will challenge low- and middle-income settings to look at new approaches for rural sanitation. In 2013, Mzuzu University, in partnership with United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Malawi, started a low-cost latrine program in rural areas using the corbelled latrine design supported by locally owned sustainable businesses. The objective of this work was to trace customers (early household adopters) and non-customers through field observations and interviews in 15 districts of Malawi. The research team spent 193 personnel work days in data collection and found 21 households as adopters in 7 districts. Most respondents had a preference with …
Achieving The Sustainable Development Goals: A Case Study Of The Complexity Of Water Quality Health Risks In Malawi, Rochelle Holm, Philip Wandschneider, Allan Felsot, Golden Msilimba
Achieving The Sustainable Development Goals: A Case Study Of The Complexity Of Water Quality Health Risks In Malawi, Rochelle Holm, Philip Wandschneider, Allan Felsot, Golden Msilimba
Faculty Scholarship
RESULTS: The water quality data and human dimension questionnaire results were used to develop a household risk presentation. Sixty-seven percent and 50 % of well water and household drinking water samples, respectively, exceeded the WHO health guideline of zero detections of E. coli. Technology transfer was advanced by providing knowledge through household risk debriefing/education, establishing a water quality laboratory at the local university, and providing training to local technicians.
Access To Groundwater And Link To The Impact On Quality Of Life: A Look At The Past, Present And Future Public Health Needs In Mzimba District, Malawi, R. C.G. Chidya, R. H. Holm, M. Tembo, B. Cole, P. Workneh, J. Kanyama
Access To Groundwater And Link To The Impact On Quality Of Life: A Look At The Past, Present And Future Public Health Needs In Mzimba District, Malawi, R. C.G. Chidya, R. H. Holm, M. Tembo, B. Cole, P. Workneh, J. Kanyama
Faculty Scholarship
Imagine a world where you have to get up at 4am to walk for two hours in the dark to fetch water. This remains true in Malawi, where it is said that the Millennium Development Goals have been met. This research aimed at understanding the impact access to groundwater has on people's ‘Being’, ‘Belonging’ and ‘Becoming,’ as well as on people's capabilities and on their quality of life in Mzimba District, Malawi. Being, Belonging and Becoming define three life domains. Being reveals ‘who one is,’ Belonging reflects ‘connections with one's environments’ and Becoming relates to ‘achieving personal goals, hopes and …
Identification Of The Potential Opportunities, Barriers, And Threats Within The Sector In Taking Up Sanitation As A Business: Rural Sanitation In Nkhata Bay District (Malawi), Rochelle Holm, Elijah Wanda, Victor Kasulo, Simeon Gwayi
Identification Of The Potential Opportunities, Barriers, And Threats Within The Sector In Taking Up Sanitation As A Business: Rural Sanitation In Nkhata Bay District (Malawi), Rochelle Holm, Elijah Wanda, Victor Kasulo, Simeon Gwayi
Faculty Scholarship
Private sector participation in sanitation marketing provides a great opportunity to improve rural sanitation access. Although a number of opportunities for private sector participation within the sanitation sector exist, there are numerous barriers and threats to taking up sanitation as a business. This Note from the Field identifies these opportunities, barriers, and threats in Nkhata Bay District, a rural area of Malawi. These insights emerge from a wider research project entitled 'Private sector participation in the delivery of sanitation and hygiene services'. This note provides background information on the research project on private sector participation and the project location. It …
Recent History Provides Sustainable African Water Quality Project Insight, Rochelle H. Holm
Recent History Provides Sustainable African Water Quality Project Insight, Rochelle H. Holm
Faculty Scholarship
Small-scale projects to provide clean drinking water undertaken in the developing world can contribute to significantly improving the livelihood of rural communities. There has been a historical tendency to poorly plan such projects leading to an unsustainable future. Recent history indicates three simple steps to ensuring successful and enduring clean water projects. First, identification of need by the indigenous community provides ownership in the project. Second, a partnership between key individuals in the indigenous community with the donor provides for ambassadors on both sides of the project. Finally, an exit strategy by the donors for the indigenous communities ensures local …