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Access status: Open Access ,
Knowledge and perceptions of schistosomiasis, a water-borne disease, in two semi-arid rural areas of South Africa (Ndumo) and Zimbabwe (Ntalale)
(Elsevier, 2020-08) Mbereko, Alexio; Chimbari, Moses John; Manyangadze, Tawanda; Mukaratirwa, Samson
Schistosomiasis is a serious water-borne disease of public health importance in southern Africa and is characterised by high morbidity and negative socio-economic repercussions. Limited knowledge on the mode of transmission and treatment contribute towards increase in the risk of infection.This study assessed community knowledge levels, perceptions and the co-constructed realities of social actors with regards to schistosomiasis in rural resource-poor communities of Ndumo in South Africa and Ntalale in Zimbabwe.We hypothesised that there was association between community knowledge level on schistosomiasis and location of residency and socio-demographic factors.Two-hundred and eight questionnaires were used to gather quantitative data on sociodemographics and knowledge levels while 18 focus group discussions were used to collect qualitative data on perceptions and social constructs. The Fisher's exact and Chi-square tests were used to determine the differences in community knowledge levels based on localities, gender, religion and age. Results showed that awareness level of schistosomiasis was assessed as ‘good’ in both Ndumo (91%) and Ntalale (81%). Majority of the respondents identified schistosomiasis as a water-borne disease with significantly higher proportion in Ndumo (89%) compared to Ntalale (68%) (p = 0.005). A significant proportion of participants in both localities were aware of the symptoms of schistosomiasis especially the passing of urine with blood (82.5% in Ndumo and 77.0% in Ntalale; p = 0.039). However, presence of schistosomiasis eggs in human stool apart from urine as a sign of infection was highly acknowledged in Ntalale (57.4%) compared to Ndumo (11.7%; p < 0.001). Knowledge on the body parts affected by the infection was low in both localities with 36.9% in Ntalale compared to 1.0% in Ndumo (p< 0.001). In both study areas, local understanding of schistosomiasis was limited to passing urine with blood, a symptomonly seen in cases of urinary schistosomiasis. All the participants associated schistosomiasis with being water-borne, but had divergent perceptions on the symptoms, lifecycle and treatment of the infection. Trends of schistosomiasis and at-risk populations were perceived differently in Ndumo and Ntalale. Although respondents from the two localities acknowledged schistosomiasis as water-borne disease, the study showed lack of in-depth knowledge on the life cycle of the diseases. We therefore recommend that health education be implemented together with other strategies such as improvement in access to water and sanitation in the two study areas to achieve effective control and prevention of the disease.
Access status: Open Access ,
Integrating argumentation in teaching probability: exploring the pedagogic impact on culturally diverse secondary school learners in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
(BUSE, 2026) Chitera, Joshua
The integration of argumentation into mathematics education is increasingly perceived as a crucial pedagogical strategy that enhances learners’ engagement and understanding of challenging concepts such as probability. Probability helps learners cope with real scenarios that entail risk and uncertainty. Although argumentation is globally acknowledged, empirical studies evaluating its efficacy within culturally diverse contexts such as among secondary school learners in Bulawayo, remain limited. The lack of such studies calls for further research into how effectively argumentation can be incorporated into the teaching of probability in order to enhance learner achievements. Hence, this study sought to explore the effectiveness of incorporating argumentation into the teaching of probability to the culturally diverse secondary school learners in Bulawayo Central district, focusing on its impact on learners’ academic performances, attitudes, motivation, and critical thinking. The use of the pragmatic paradigm provided the philosophical flexibility to integrate both quantitative measures and qualitative learner experiences thereby ensuring a practically relevant evaluation of the argumentation-based intervention. Because there were only two secondary school mathematics classes at the selected school, a census approach was adopted, encompassing both intact classes (N = 40, with 20 learners each). Cluster randomisation was then applied to designate one intact class as the experimental group, which received argumentation-based instruction, while the counterpart class served as the control group, taught through traditional methods. Quantitative data were collected through pre-tests and post-tests while qualitative data were collected through focus group discussions, and semi-structured questionnaires. The quantitative data were analysed using Mann Whitney U test, and the Difference in Difference (DID) analysis. The pre-test results yielded no statistically significant difference (U = 197.00, p = 0.925, p > 0.05; with a Cohen’s d of 0.015) in performance between the experimental and control groups. However, the post-test results (U = 28.000, p = 0.015, p < 0.05; with Cohen’s d = 0.855) indicated a very large and significant improvement in learners’ performances. The Difference in Difference (DID) analysis further highlighted an average improvement of 11.05 points in academic performance for the experimental group, demonstrating the effectiveness of the argumentation-based instruction. The thematically analysed qualitative data revealed that the argumentation intervention significantly improved the learners’ attitudes, motivation, engagement, enthusiasm, and a deeper understanding of probability concepts among the experimental group learners. Insights from the qualitative results support the quantitative success as shown by increased confidence and motivation among the learners. Learners reported that a shift in their attitudes towards probability and their participation in argumentation activities improved their conceptual understanding of probability. This combination of the quantitative and qualitative data paints a comprehensive picture of the intervention’s effects, highlighting that when learners feel more engaged and confident, their performance reflects the change. The findings suggest that integrating argumentation in teaching probability is an effective instructional strategy that improves the performance of culturally diverse secondary school learners. This study, therefore, recommends the adoption of argumentation as a fundamental approach in mathematics and statistics education, emphasising its potential to foster critical thinking and deeper conceptual understanding among learners. This can be achieved through leveraging the learners’ cultural backgrounds as a sense-making resource.
Access status: Open Access ,
Projected climate change effects on suitable habitat for Pseudosuccinea columella and Radix natalensis in uMgungundlovu, South Africa
(Public Library of Science, 2026-07-16) Hadebe, Mpumelelo Ian; Manyangadze, Tawanda; Kalinda, Chester; Chimbari, Moses John
Climate change impacts oceanic and atmospheric circulation patterns, precipitation, air and sea surface temperatures leading to altered intermediate host vector distribution, reproduction, and maturation. With temperatures predicted to rise by 1.5°C or more, understanding the influence of environmental characteristics and climatic conditions on distribution of intermediate host vectors, occurrence and habitat suitability is vital in vector borne diseases and their control policies. Hence, the study focused on the predicted changes in habitat suitability of Pseudosuccinea columella and Radix natalensis in uMgungundlovu district under climate change scenarios. Methods Freshwater Pseudosuccinea columella and Radix natalensis were collected from seven localities in uMgungundlovu using stratified random cluster sampling. Snail samples were collected at 45 sites. The sites were selected based on local knowledge and accessibility. The ensemble model assessed climate variability, while Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) predicted habitat appropriateness for P. columella and R. natalensis. Maps were created using the MaxEnt model, and the model’s performance was assessed using the Area Under the Curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results Our study indicates that P. columella and R. natalensis under current climatic conditions have suitable habitats in the Mpofana, Impendle, Richmond, and Mkhambathini municipalities within the uMgungundlovu district, but the central and northern region are considered unsuitable. Furthermore, under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate scenarios, an estimated 22.31% and 22.57% of areas that are presently suitable are expected to become unsuitable for P. columella in uMgungundlovu, with fragmented areas and unsuitable areas becoming suitable for R. natalensis distribution by 2085. Conclusion Climate change could influence the distribution of fasciola intermediate host snails, potentially shifting the hotspots of fascioliasis transmission. Future studies should take into account shifts in land use, evolving agricultural techniques, and the impact of human activities to ensure effective management strategies.
Access status: Open Access ,
The Environmental occurrence of pharmaceutical residues, agrochemical contaminants, and antimicrobial resistance in a wastewater-impacted urban water system: a one health assessment
(MDPI, 2026-07-08) Misi, Amos; Mushonga, Paul; Mari, Thelma; Zinyengere, Greathyl T.; Njenje, Trinity; Mhungu, Mary Chipo; Dzomba, Pamhidzai; Zhou, Rudo; Zaranyika , Mark F.
Urban water security in many cities in the Global South is increasingly challenged by ageing infrastructure and the presence of persistent chemical contaminants. This study investigated the Harare metropolitan water continuum between 2020 and 2024 using a longitudinal, systems-oriented observational framework encompassing wastewater discharge, surface water reservoirs, drinking water treatment, and municipal distribution networks. A three-stage approach was employed, comprising qualitative screening for selected pharmaceuticals at the Lake Chivero water–sediment interface in 2020, spatial assessment of physicochemical stability across the treatment and distribution system in 2021, and targeted qualitative evaluation of pharmaceutical and agrochemical occurrence in wastewater-impacted matrices in 2024. Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim were qualitatively identified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), while atrazine was confirmed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). These analyses indicated the continued presence of pharmaceutical and agrochemical residues within wastewater-impacted aquatic compartments associated with the Harare water supply. Physicochemical monitoring revealed elevated ammonia concentrations and reduced free residual chlorine across sections of the distribution network. These conditions coincided with detectable heterotrophic bacterial regrowth at distal consumer endpoints. Phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacterial isolates recovered at the source interface showed limited inhibition responses to sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim under the experimental conditions used. While the observational nature of this study precludes causal inference, the co-occurrence of chemical residues, physicochemical instability, and bacterial isolates exhibiting reduced inhibition responses highlights conditions of potential relevance for antimicrobial resistance risk within wastewater-influenced urban water systems. These findings underscore the importance of integrated water management strategies addressing wastewater control, source water protection, and distribution system integrity within a One Health context.
Access status: Open Access ,
Future climatically stable habitat of a vulnerable medicinal tree, Warburgia salutaris (Pepper-bark tree), overlaps with some protected areas in southern Africa
(Universidade Estadual da Paraiba/Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco., 2026-06-10) Jinga, Percy; Manyangadze, Tawanda
Climate change will affect the distribution of medicinal plant species in sub-Saharan Africa, with potential negative consequences to especially rural and poor communities that depend on them for traditional medicines. The aim of the study was to determine future climatically stable habitat of Warburgia salutaris, a commonly used vulnerable medicinal plant species. An ensemble species distribution model (SDM) was built from eight algorithms and used to estimate the current and future distributions of the species. Six environmental variables and 146 occurrence records were used to calibrate individual SDMs before combining them into the ensemble SDM. The ensemble SDM was projected to 2041‒2060 and 2081‒2100 under two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), namely SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5. The projections were made under three general circulation models (GCMs), which were CanESM5, IPSL-CM6A-LR and MIROC6. Results show that the current suitable habitat of the species occurs in South Africa, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Under both time periods and SSPs, the suitable habitat of the species will markedly contract, especially under SSP5-8.5 in 2081‒2100 (CanESM5 = -79 %, IPSL-CM6A-LR = -87 %, MIROC6 = -71 %). Climate refuges that overlap with the future suitable habitat of W. salutaris were identified in protected areas (PAs), such as Malalotja Nature Reserve (Eswatini), Itala Nature Reserve (South Africa), and Nyanga National Park (Zimbabwe). The climate refuges in PAs may be priority areas to introduce the species.