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Rural development through industrialisation: a case study of Mansa batteries limited, 1978-1994.
(The University of Zambia, 2024) Chola, Kelvin
The study traces the origin and development of Mansa Batteries Limited with the view of examining the challenges the Company faced, as well as assessing its socio-economic impact on the people of Mansa and the neighbouring districts. It reveals that the need for regional balancing in terms of allocating industries in the country and the presence of Manganese in Mansa were the major factors which led to the establishment of the battery factory in the area. The study indicates that Spark batteries constituted of mostly imported raw materials; a situation which management through the Company’s Research Committee attempted to turn around by substituting foreign raw materials with local ones. However, the attempts failed to a great extent since most of the raw materials which Mansa Batteries Limited sought to purchase from local suppliers were processed from imported inputs, which made the manufacturers not to venture into commercial production due to difficulties faced in importing such inputs. The study shows that Mansa Batteries Limited faced numerous operational challenges which included capacity underutilisation, machine breakdowns, lack of foreign exchange to purchase foreign raw materials, components and machinery; inadequate qualified personnel and poor product quality. The study reveals that typical of most parastatals in Zambia, Mansa Batteries Limited faced administrative challenges and political interference which largely contributed to its poor performance. Additionally, the study shows that economic problems such as loan repayment obligations, credit sales, Kwacha depreciation and trade liberalisation negatively affected the performance of the Company. The study further demonstrates that the numerous operational, administrative and economic challenges the Company perpetually faced over the years induced liquidity problems which became very serious in 1993, and resulted in frequent closures of the factory in 1993 and 1994, before it was finally placed under receivership by the Development Bank of Zambia in November, 1994.The study argues that in spite of the numerous challenges the Company faced, it had positive economic and social impact on the people Mansa and the neighbouring districts.
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Maternal complications (outcomes) of severe pre-eclampsia at a tertiary-level hospital in Zambia.
(The University of Zambia, 2019) Nyirenda, James
Preeclampsia is a multi-systemic disorder typically unique to pregnancy and characterised by blood pressure above or equal to 140 systolic or 90 diastolic and proteinuria of 300g in a 24 hours urine sample collection. Preeclampsia complicates 3 - 8% of pregnancies and is a major cause of maternal mortality and morbidity. Although the etiology of preeclampsia is still unclear, some epidemiological findings support the hypothesis of a genetic and immunological etiology. The disease has a complex pathophysiology, the primary cause being abnormal placentation early in pregnancy. Without treatment the disorder leads to serious maternal and perinatal complications that includes; HELLP syndrome, abruption placentae, DIC, pulmonary oedema, renal failure, eclampsia, and death. This descriptive study analysed cases of 175 women with Severe Preeclampsia admitted to the Mother and New Born Hospital between June and December 2017. Women meeting the criteria were identified antenatal and enrolled into the study after delivery to obtain data using the maternity record book and face-face interviews for clarification. The data was analysed using SPSS to obtain frequency distributions of outcomes of interest that was illustrated in charts and tables. The age range for the women was 15 - 41 years. Frequency of complications from SPE increased with advancing age towards 35 years and above. Unemployment and living in low cost housing was associated with higher risk of complication from SPE. HELLP Syndrome occurred in 10.3% of women with SPE and so did placental abruption. IUFD was a complication in 28% of the pregnant women. Most women (34%) delivered through induction of labour. The 30-34 weeks was the peak gestation period associated with the most complications of SPE in the pregnant women. SPE is a pregnancy condition with serious potential consequences for the mother and the fetus.
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Quantitative exposure assessment to vibrio cholerae through consumption of fresh fish in Lusaka province, Zambia.
(The University of Zambia, 2019) Malata, Mulenga
Fresh fish is one of the cheapest sources of proteins in the Zambian diet and widely consumed nationwide. Fresh fish harbours a number of spoilage bacteria and pathogens including V. cholerae which cause cholera in humans. Consumption of contaminated fresh fish has been linked to zoonotic transmission of diseases in humans. The aim of the study was to carry out a quantitative exposure assessment to Vibrio cholerae through consumption of fresh fish in Lusaka Province of Zambia. The data used to achieve this objective were obtained from reviews of scientific literature, government reports, questionnaire survey and expert opinions. The swift Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (sQMRA) model was used to model the risk of exposure. The study was driven by the lack of research-based information in this area despite the increase in the number of reported cases of cholera in Lusaka Province. Results showed that the average serving portion for fresh fish in Lusaka District was 200g for fresh fish consumers in the restaurants and high socio-economic status households, while 100g were for the consumers in low socio-economic status households, respectively. The probability of exposure to Vibrio cholerae through consumption of fresh fish was estimated to be low. At serving portions of 100g and 200g in the low and high socio economic status households with a concentration of 50 cfu/g, infectious dose 50 (ID50) of 106 cells, one person would get ill, representing a probability of 0.000044%. At an average serving portion of 200g at restaurants level, 50cfu/g and ID50 of 106 cells, 47 people would get ill, translating into a probability of 0.0021% per year The study concludes that the risk of exposure to Vibrio cholerae among residents in Lusaka Province, as a result of fresh fish consumption, would be generally low, attributed to preparation methods. The study also revealed that cross-contamination during preparation and consumption could be a source of exposure to the Vibrio cholerae. Improvement in food hygiene practices and processing are needed to minimize the occurrence of foodborne illnesses. Further, work is required to broaden the scope of the study and also undertake a microbiological evaluation of fresh fish from both household and restaurant risk exposure pathways.
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Higher education: pathway for women’s appointment to decision making positions in public administration in Zambia.
(Internatioan Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Sciences, 2024) Nsana, Sharon; Daka, Harrison; and Mulenga-Hangane; Lydia Mukuka
The success of development efforts depends on making women full and equal partners in all matters of the economy. Higher education, to be certain, by itself, is not a panacea, but is a necessary condition for the advancement of women in society. Through higher education, the journey towards participation in decision making power begins. Access to education is considered an important determinant of women’s appointment to decision making positions in public administration. This is because women’s increased education is positively associated with autonomy of decision making in different sectors of society. As such, women’s decision making power increases when they are empowered with higher education. The main objective of this study was to explore the influence of higher education qualifications on women’s appointment to decision making positions in public administration. The sample size was 25 respondents who were interviewed from various ministries in Lusaka. Both secondary and primary data were collected for the study. Primary data was collected using semi-structured interviews and secondary data from various documents, reports as well as electronic documents. The research design used was case study and using a non-probability sampling technique, purposive sampling and snow ball sampling methods were used. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings of the study reviewed that despite women acquiring higher education qualification in Zambia, their appointment to decision making positions in public administration has not been achieved fully. And factors such as horizontal and vertical segregation were found to be challenges that affect their appointment to decision making positions hence the reasons why the numbers of women being low. Therefore, the study recommended that the government should realize the importance of women’s appointment and participation by enacting and implementing laws, policies and regulations. Women also should be empowered with training and upgrading of skills to better participate in decision making
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Quantitative exposure assessment to listeria species through consumption of polony imported from South Africa in Lusaka, Zambia.
(The University of Zambia, 2019) Siamate Sakala James
This study aimed to quantitatively assess the Risk of Exposure to Listeria through consumption of ready to eat meat and meat products (RTE) imported from South Africa in Lusaka Province of Zambia. A swift quantitative microbiological risk assessment (sQMRA) simulation model was used to analyse data, which was collected through a literature review. A literature review was guided by the eleven questions, which make up the Microsoft Excel-based sQMRA model. Results showed that the average serving portion for Polony in Lusaka District was 30g per day. The probability of exposure to Listeria species through consumption of Polony was relatively low. At a serving portion of 30g, the concentration of 1000 cfu/g, infectious dose 50 (ID50) of 105 , two people in a population of 1,765,488 would get ill, representing a probability of 0.00011 percent. Similarly, at a serving portion of 30g, the concentration of 100 cfu/g, infectious dose 50 (ID50) of 105 and 107 , no person in a population of 1,765,488 would get exposed, representing a probability of zero. This study concludes that the risk of exposure to Listeria spp through consumption of RTE meat and meat products imported from South Africa in Lusaka district, was extremely low, mainly due to the nature of the product (Polony), which it is well done at factory prior to supply in supermarket and the serving size portion was very minimal. Since cross-contamination accounted for 100% high risk of exposure to Listeria spp., it is important to sanitise the slicing equipment every time they are used to slice Polony. A proper hygienic system can prevent the cross-contamination with L. monocytogenes, which is a fundamental risk factor in Polony facilities