Healthcare facilities' level of preparedness response on COVID-19 preventive measures in selected regions of Tanzania: A perspective of healthcare workers

Background: After the first patient of COVID-19 was announced by the Ministry of Health in Tanzania from Arusha region, the hottest discussion in the community was the fear on how our health facilities were prepared against the spread of coronavirus disease. Objective and significance: This study aims at assessing healthcare facilities level of preparedness response on preventive measures against COVID-19 in selected regions of Tanzania through the contributions of healthcare workers. This study will add value in building capacity to fight COVID-19 pandemic and possibly any other pandemic of similar significance in the future. Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study design which applied quantitative research strategy was conducted from August to October 2022. A total of 596 healthcare workers were involved in the study from 40 healthcare facilities in Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Arusha, and Dodoma regions of Tanzania. Descriptive statistics were analyzed by a statistical package SPSS version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) giving frequencies, percentages, and significant association between variables. Results: Overall level of preparedness was poor at 52%, only 25% of preventive measures were good prepared and 23% moderately prepared. Availability of hand washing station with soap and water to ensure hand hygiene for healthcare workers was most prepared by 87.1% while designated ambulance facility for transporting patients from isolation area to other COVID-19 referral facilities was less prepared by 30.4% in this study. Conclusion: The preparedness responses was poor in selected regions of Tanzania which cause less capacity to fight against COVID-19 whenever it emerges. © 2020 The author (s).

Factors Influencing Knowledge Level of COVID-19 among Healthcare Workers: A Cross-sectional Survey in Four Regions of Tanzania

Up to April 24th 2020, the Government of Tanzania announced 284 cases of COVID-19, among them 7 were in intensive care, 37 recoveries, 10 deaths and the rest in stable condition while Dar es Salaam region was leading in number of infected cases followed by Mwanza, Arusha and Dodoma regions. This study was conducted to evaluate level of COVID-19 knowledge among healthcare workers in selected regions of Tanzania in order to identify the existing gap of knowledge in combating COVID-19. This study applied a quantitative analytical cross-sectional survey design in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and Dodoma regions of Tanzania from 24th of August till 3rd October, 2022. A total of 596 healthcare workers from 40 healthcare facilities were involved. Frequencies and percentages were analyzed for categorical variables. Association between categorical variables were analyzed by using Chi-square and variables were significant at P-value < 0.05. This study found that, healthcare workers have an average of 79.4% correct answers with overall level of knowledge at 70%, 24% and 6% of healthcare workers holding good, moderate and low levels of knowledge respectively. Multinomial logistic regression showed significant associations with service experience of 1-5 years (OR = 0.093, 95% CI, 0.011-0.759, P-value= 0.027) when good and poor knowledge compared. This study found moderate knowledge among healthcare workers. Significant association with level of knowledge reported in age, field profession, level of education, category of healthcare facility and situation of caring COVID-19 patients in facility. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Pure & Applied Microbiology is the property of Dr. M. N. Khan and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

COVID-19, climate shocks, and food security linkages: evidence and perceptions from smallholder farming communities in Tanzania

Insights on the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are critical for designing and implementing policies to alleviate the food security burden it may have caused, and for bolstering rural communities against similar macroeconomic shocks in the future. Yet estimating the causal effects of the pandemic is difficult due to its ubiquitous nature and entanglement with other shocks. In this descriptive study, we combine high-resolution satellite imagery to control for plot-level rainfall with household socio-economic panel data from 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2020, to differentiate the effect of the pandemic from climatic shocks on food security in Morogoro, Tanzania. We find evidence of decreased incomes, increased prices of staple foods, and increased food insecurity in 2020 relative to previous years, and link these changes to the pandemic by asking households about their perceptions of COVID-19. Respondents overwhelmingly attribute economic hardships to the pandemic, with perceived impacts differing by asset level.

The Comparison Analysis of the Impacts of Lockdown and Quarantine Facets in the Transmission of COVID-19: Mathematical Approach

COVID-19 is the short name of the coronavirus disease discovered in Wuhan, China, in 2019. In the context of Tanzania, we develop a mathematical model in this work that compares lockdown and quarantine. Again, we provide evidence in favor of local and global stability, with the basic reproduction number, R 0 , determined to be 0.31 at the diagnostic test rates k 1 = k 2 = 0.05. In comparison to the lockdown, it has been discovered that isolating (or quarantining) affected individuals is the most effective way to stop the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, it is advised that governments in Tanzania and other African countries permit their citizens to go about their daily lives as long as they take the necessary precautions, such as donning face masks, washing their hands, and avoiding crowded gatherings in case of a recurrence of any form of COVID-19. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Computational & Mathematical Methods in Medicine is the property of Hindawi Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Reactivation of Surgical Campaigns after the Covid Pandemic: Surgeons in Action with Hernia International Foundations in 2022

Aim: The Cirujanos en Accion and Hernia International foundations carried out their own and collaborative surgical campaigns in developing countries. In 2020 and 2021 the programme had to be suspended due to Covid. In 2022 we restarted our actions, analysed the difficulties of reactivation and described the campaigns that had been carried out and those that had to be delayed. Material/ Methods: We describe the 9 campaigns of Surgeons in Action, our own and in collaboration with Hernia International and our own campaign to the region of Naborno Karabakh, planned for September and cancelled 24 hours before departure due to the resurgence of armed conflict. An analysis is made of volunteers, places, type (adults or children or mixed), collaborations with other foundations, patients operated and procedures done according to pathologies, integration with local staff with exchange of knowledge. Result(s): Made in 8 countries (Benin, Camerun, Gambia (2), Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Sierra Leone) and postponed in one country, the Naborno Karabakh region of Armenia. 85 volunteers (25 general and 10 paediatric surgeons, 19 anaesthetists, 3 intensivists, 23 nurses, 5 audiovisuals);local staff;1144 patients (473 children, 671 adults), 1325 procedures for various pathologies (hernias, goitres, hydroceles, undescendend testis, soft tissue tumours, etc.) Conclusion(s): 9 campaigns have been carried out successfully and new locations have been opened with a good projection for the coming years, and we have experienced difficulties with the cancellation of a mega-campaign in an area with geopolitical conflicts - to be taken into account in the future.

Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake and Hesitancy among Healthcare Workers in Tanzania: A Mixed-Methods Study

The novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents a major threat to public health but can be prevented by safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine acceptance among healthcare workers (HCWs) is essential to promote uptake. This study, aimed to determine the COVID-19 vaccination uptake and hesitancy and its associated factors among HCWs in Tanzania. We employed a convergent-parallel mixed-methods design among 1368 HCWs across health facilities in seven geographical zones in Tanzania in 2021. We collected quantitative data by using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and qualitative data, using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Participants in the quantitative aspect were conveniently selected whereas those in the qualitative aspect were purposively selected based on their role in patient care, management, and vaccine provision. Stata software version 16.1 was used in the analysis of quantitative data and thematic analysis for the qualitative data. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake. The median age of 1368 HCWs was 33, and the interquartile range was 28–43 years;65.6% were aged 30+ years, and 60.1% were females. Over half (53.4%) of all HCWs received the COVID-19 vaccine, 33.6% completely refused, and 13% chose to wait. HCWs aged 40+ years, from lower-level facilities (district hospitals and health centers), who worked 6+ years, and with perceived high/very high risk of COVID-19 infection had significantly higher odds of vaccine uptake. The qualitative data revealed misinformation and inadequate knowledge about COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy as the key barriers to uptake. Nearly half of all HCWs in Tanzania are still unvaccinated against COVID-19. The predominance of contextual influence on COVID-19 vaccine uptake calls for interventions to focus on addressing contextual determinants, focusing on younger HCWs' population, short working duration, those working at different facility levels, and providing adequate vaccine knowledge. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of COVID is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Mentorship of young researchers in resource-limited settings: experiences of the mentees from selected health sciences Universities in Tanzania.

INTRODUCTION: Mentorship is an essential component of research capacity building for young researchers in the health sciences. The mentorship environment in resource-limited settings is gradually improving. This article describes mentees' experiences in a mentorship program for junior academicians amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania. METHODS: This is a survey study that examined the experiences of mentees who participated in a mentorship program developed as part of the Transforming Health Education in Tanzania (THET) project. The THET project was funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) under a consortium of three partnering academic institutions in Tanzania and two collaborating US-based institutions. Senior faculty members of respective academic institutions were designated as mentors of junior faculty. Quarterly reports submitted by mentees for the first four years of the mentorship program from 2018 to 2022 were used as data sources. RESULTS: The mentorship program included a total of 12 mentees equally selected from each of the three health training institutions in Tanzania. The majority (7/12) of the mentees in the program were males. All mentees had a master's degree, and the majorities (8/12) were members of Schools/Faculties of Medicine. Most mentors (9/10) were from Tanzania's three partnering health training institutions. All mentors had an academic rank of senior lecturer or professor. Despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the regular weekly meetings between mentors and mentees were not affected. By the fourth year of the mentorship program, more than three-quarters of mentees had published research related to the mentorship program in a peer-reviewed journal, over half had enrolled in Ph.D. studies, and half had applied for and won competitive grant awards. Almost all mentees reported being satisfied with the mentorship program and their achievements. CONCLUSION: The mentorship program enhanced the skills and experiences of the mentees as evidenced by the quality of their research outputs and their dissemination of research findings. The mentorship program encouraged mentees to further their education and enhanced other skills such as grant writing. These results support the initiation of similar mentorship programs in other institutions to expand their capacity in biomedical, social, and clinical research, especially in resource-limited settings, such as Sub-Saharan Africa.

Assessing disease risk perceptions of wild meat in savanna borderland settlements in Kenya and Tanzania

Wild meat hunting and trade across African savannas is widespread. We interviewed 299 people in rural settlements along the Kenya-Tanzania border to examine impacts of COVID-19 on wild meat consumption and perceptions about wild meat activities associated with zoonotic disease risks. Education level played a key part in understanding COVID-19 transmission. Information about the pandemic was mostly acquired from the media. Nearly all respondents recognized that COVID-19 originated in China. As many as 70% reported no impact of COVID-19 on wild meat consumption;some believed that there was an increase. Over half of the respondents believed that consumption of wild meat leads to food-borne illnesses. Respondents recognized disease risks such as anthrax and brucellosis and accepted that people slaughtering and handling wild meat with open cuts were at greater risk. Ungulates were the most consumed animals, followed by birds, rodents, and shrews. Respondents perceived that hyenas, monkeys, donkeys, and snakes were riskier to eat. More than 90% of the respondents understood that handwashing with soap reduces risks of disease transmission. Country level (11 answers), education and gender (three answers each) and household economy (158 answers) were significant. Country differences were linked to differences in nature legislation;50% of Kenyan respondents believed that wild meat should not be sold because of conservation concerns. Men were more worried about getting COVID-19 from live animals and perceived that wildlife should not be sold because of conservation reasons. Overall, there was a very strong inclination to stop buying wild meat if other meats were less expensive. Our results allow us to better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on wild meat-related activities. Differences between countries can frame the attitudes to wild meat since wild meat trade and consumption were found to be country specific.

Leadership, Teaching and Learning in Times of Crisis in Southern Tanzania

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on education provision worldwide. School leaders, teachers and parents found themselves in uncharted circumstances, which hugely impacted their roles in promoting children's learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles played by leaders, teachers, and parents during the COVID-19 crisis. This paper discusses teaching and learning in this time of crisis. The study sampled 10 head teachers, 60 schoolteachers and 57 parents representing 10 primary schools in five districts in the Lindi region of Tanzania. A postmodernism lens was applied to respond to questions about the strengths and weaknesses of support structures, such as parents, teachers, and local and central government, in the era of COVID-19. Data indicate that teachers, parents, and even the government, had to try various approaches to shift between different roles involved in addressing learning demands in the era of COVID-19 in Tanzania. Generally, the study identifies complex tensions between the support structures, that had been brought on by the pandemic. It is through understanding the complex tensions and balancing various roles that we can begin to understand the teaching and learning landscape in times of crisis. © 2023 Society for Research and Knowledge Management. All rights reserved.

Impact of Covid-19 Induced Program Adaptations on Hiv Suppression in Three Countries

Background: The pandemic response measures have had significant global economic and health impacts with transient reductions in HIV clinic attendance and self-reported anti-retroviral therapy (ART) adherence reported in prior studies. Since viral suppression (VS) is an indication of ART adherence and effective service delivery, we assessed VS in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in 3 African countries Methods: Since 2013, the African Cohort Study (AFRICOS) has enrolled individuals 18 years or older with and without HIV, in an approximate 5:1 ratio, at 12 clinics across 5 HIV care programs in Tanzania Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria. For people living with HIV (PLWH), ART history was extracted from medical records and viral load was assessed at each visit. This assesses VS (< 1000 c/ml) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (categorized into 4 surges and a consolidated non-surge period;defined in Table 1) among PLWH. Tanzania was excluded due to inadequate pandemic data. Logistic regression with generalized estimating equations, clustered by participant, was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) comparing VS before and during COVID-19. Models are adjusted for age, sex, and program. Result(s): Of the 1741 study participants, 368 are from Uganda, 1156 are from Kenya, and 217 are from Nigeria;730 are males, 1011 are females, and 147 are under the age of 30. PLWH were less likely to be virally suppressed during the first surge period (OR 0.85, CI 0.46-1.56), but VS significantly increased during the second surge period (OR 1.95, CI 1.23-3.04) compared to the pre-COVID period. The third and fourth surge periods also saw a higher VS (table 1). Females are more likely to be virally suppressed than males (OR 1.58, CI 1.09- 2.29) and PLWH ages 40-49 have higher VS (OR 2.43, CI 1.32-4.48) compared to PLWH under. PLWH at the AFRICOS sites in Kenya and Nigeria show lower VS than the Ugandan cohort (ORs 0.46, CI 0.26-0.79 and OR 0.32, CI 0.17-0.60 respectively). Conclusion(s): The initial drop in VS may be attributed to reduced clinic access due to lockdowns. Many HIV programs supported by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) adapted their strategies to serve PLWH by scaling up community ART dispensing and multi-month dispensing (MMD) of ART for stable clients, which could have led to increased VS during the other surge periods.

Give and Take: Developmental Foreign Aid and the Pharmaceutical Industry in East Africa by Nitsan Chorev (review)

Nitsan Chorev's Give and Take is an in-depth and well-researched comparative historical analysis of the kind of foreign aid that facilitated the development and growth of the pharmaceutical industry in East Africa. [...]the decision to purchase locally manufactured drugs for "rations kits” in Kenya, but not in Tanzania or Uganda, was instrumental in the growth of the Kenyan industry and equally detrimental to the fledgling Tanzanian and virtually nonexistent Ugandan pharmaceutical sectors. [...]Chorev shows how this creation of a market, which expands significantly in the wake of HIV/AIDS, was only part of the equation. [...]the remarkable value of Chorev's work has only been amplified since its publication by the highly unequal global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, particularly in Africa, and a subsequent edition might include a prefatory note on the relevance of Give and Take to the COVID pandemic.

A decade of e-Learning implementation Challenges at the College of Business Education in Tanzania

The implementation of electronic learning (e-learning) in Tanzania's higher education institutions (HEIs) has flourished in recent years. The College of Business Education (CBE) embarked on an e-learning system Student Academic Register Information System (SARIS) and a Moodle system in the year 2011. However, the implementation of e-learning systems at CBE has had challenges and experiences that were neither properly reported nor documented for improvement. This study, therefore, aims at highlighting the decade long usage of the e-learning systems at CBE. The study adapted and extended the Andersson and Grönlund Conceptual Framework for e-learning in developing countries. During the wake of COVID-19 a total of 210 participants (12 teachers and 198 students) from four CBE campuses participated in the study and precautions of social distancing were observed. Data were collected using an in-depth interview and questionnaires. The analysis of qualitative data was conducted using content analysis and for the quantitative data the analysis was done on the frequencies as well as descriptive data through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) IBM version 23.0. The results revealed that amongst other factors, technology training, a conducive environment and readiness for e-learning pedagogy, posed some of the major challenges in the implementation of e-learning for both the teachers and students.

Longitudinal Coronavirus Antibody Responses in Africa between 2013 and 2021

Background: Pre-existing coronavirus-specific antibody responses may affect SARS-CoV-2 responses. We evaluated longitudinal samples obtained before and during the pandemic in participants from Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda;90% were people living with HIV. Method(s): Serum samples were tested using a multiplex bead-based immunoassay to measure antibody binding against 22 antigens including Nucleocapsid (N) and Spike (S) proteins of the 7 human coronaviruses and one malaria antigen. Result(s): We tested 819 longitudinal samples from 80 participants collected between July 2013 and May 2021 (3-16 samples per participant). Using a signal to noise ratio (S/N) >10, 13, 1, and 5 participants showed at least one time point with IgG responses to S of SARS-CoV-2 (ancestral), SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV respectively while 14, 8, and 11 participants showed responses to N before 2020. Across individuals, IgG binding to SARS-CoV-2 S subunit S2 was most frequently detected and it showed the highest within-host fluctuations over time. A few individuals had elevated responses that persisted over years towards multiple antigens, most frequently to different SARS-CoV-2 antigens and rarely to distinct viruses. One individual showed high RBD-specific IgG responses to distinct coronaviruses at a single time point before 2020. Responses against coronaviruses measured post-2020 generally correlated with responses measured before 2020, except for a subset of infected individuals whose responses against SARS-CoV-2 dramatically increased post-pandemic. IgG responses against the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 variant were most correlated with responses against Alpha and Gamma (then to Beta and Delta, rho >0.75) variants. Using an IgM S/N >10, 31 participants were Malaria positive and 22 showed concurrent elevated coronavirus IgM responses. However, about half of the malaria positive participants had no IgG responses against any coronavirus antigen and the rest presented limited and variable patterns of association between responses against coronaviruses and malaria. Conclusion(s): Our study confirmed that a small subset of individuals in Africa had long-lasting IgG coronavirus-specific antibodies before the pandemic. While there was an association between coronavirus IgM responses and responses against malaria, there was no correlation between IgG responses and malaria infection. Further analysis is needed to better understand the interactions between antigens in the development of antibody immunity to coronaviruses. (Table Presented).

Accelerating Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment among Tanzanians Living with Hiv

Background: People living with HIV (PLHIV) bear 20 times higher risk of acquiring tuberculosis (TB) compared to people without HIV. The World Health Organization recommends TB preventive treatment (TPT) for PLHIV to reduce this risk. However, according to the 2020 Global TB Report, only half of PLHIV were started on TPT globally in 2019, with the lowest coverage observed in low-income countries including Tanzania, where TPT provision is part of the standard of care for eligible PLHIV in Tanzania. We describe programmatic efforts to scale up TPT in 11 regions accounting for half of the 1.5 million PLHIV on ART in Tanzania. Method(s): Starting in 2018, PEPFAR, through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), supported the Government of Tanzania to accelerate TPT provision by: (1) training and mentoring healthcare workers, (2) integrating isoniazid into supply chain plans at the regional level, and (3) convening quarterly meetings at national and regional levels for program and supply chain monitoring and coordination. Additionally, CDC launched focused regional support interventions, with TPT among its priorities, aiming to facilitate real-time data-driven site monitoring, increased accountability, and on-the-ground coordination with local health authorities and implementing partners. We analyzed routine programmatic data reported in PEPFAR's data reporting system for fiscal years (FY) FY2018 through FY2021. Result(s): The number of PLHIV of all ages who initiated TPT increased from 67,510 in FY2018 to 268,909 in FY2019. Despite coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, the initiation numbers in FY2020 were sustained at 264,465 and dropped by about one-third in FY2021 (182,823) compared to the previous year. TPT completion rates among those initiated also showed a positive trend;38% in FY2018, 85% in FY2019, 90% in FY2020, and 91% in FY2021. Conclusion(s): Our findings demonstrate substantial acceleration of TPT initiation and a significant increase in TPT completion rates over the four-year period in 11 regions in Tanzania. The policy of once-in-a-lifetime TPT for PLHIV means fewer people are eligible for TPT over time, which might account for lower numbers of PLHIV initiated on TPT in FY2021. Completion remained high among those who initiated TPT. The strategic shift focusing on capacity building, supply chain strengthening, and site-level monitoring may have contributed to the improvements in TPT initiation and completion.

Editorial: Reflecting on the implementation of teaching and learning strategies for sustainability

LMS use and the academic performance of undergraduate students In our first Refereed Article Odekeye, Fakokunde, Metu and Adewusi investigated the perception of undergraduate students on the use of a Learning Management System (LMS) in the learning process. researchers employed a descriptive survey design and administered an online questionnaire among undergraduate students at Osun State University. Using digital tools for social engagement in remote learning The authors note that digital tools have evolved into a way of life, and as a result, they have become a growing area of interest for academics who research teaching and learning. The section closes with two studies that present use cases that may be of interest to readers on resource availability and creative use of digital tools to enhance teaching and learning in resource strained contexts. Reflections on teaching and learning post COVID-19 In this article Tiyamike Ngonda reflects on teaching and learning at two universities in Africa, considering evidence from the literature on the challenges of transition to online teaching and learning and the affordances of the learner management systems they adopted.

Students' mental health issues in Europe and other countries

This chapter describes and analyzes how different countries dealt with children and youth with mental health issues before and during the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in March 2020. The pandemic and measures worldwide to control the spread of the virus COVID-19, such as lockdowns, closures of schools and preschools, social distancing rules, restrictions of movement, contact limits, and quarantine, changed the daily life of millions of people, especially children and youth. The countries include: Germany, Greece, Portugal, Tanzania/Vietnam, and the Netherlands. The chapter also analyzes how fear of infection and death, high uncertainty, and the containment measures that were implemented on affected children and youth with mental health issues. Students with disabilities and students from disadvantaged backgrounds were particularly affected by school closures. Mental health systems in the various countries coped in different ways, also depending on how they operated before the pandemic. Developing prevention programs, building resiliency, peer support, online support measures, and raising awareness of mental health all seem to be useful strategies to address mental health problems in children and youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Information-seeking behaviour of Tanzanians in the time of COVID-19

PurposeThis study aims to investigate on access and communication of COVID-19 information among Tanzanians.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative methods were applied to identify a total of 636 respondents.FindingsResults show that the majority (86.9%) of respondents seek information on COVID-19. Gender, age, education and marital status did not influence individual's information-seeking behaviour. Respondents largely used social media, particularly WhatsApp, to communicate. Respondents prefer blending professional and traditional information to combat COVID-19. The majority (51%) of respondents indicated that COVID-19 information was not communicated ethically. Employed people are more likely to ethically communicate information on the pandemic in social media.Practical implicationsFindings imply that novelty of the pandemic has enhanced active information-seeking behaviour. Respondents rely on multiple information sources to seek and collaboratively communicate COVID information. Employment status is associated with respondents' information-seeking behaviour. Audio-visual sources are mostly preferred and relied in communicating information on the pandemic. Social media usage has enhanced timely and appropriate decision-making measures to tackle the COVID menace. Level of education has an influence on the use of credible sources and ethical communication of information on the pandemic. Utilization of COVID-19 preventive information was not statistically associated with socio-demographic variables. Availability of information infrastructures, particularly the internet, influences access, use and clear informed decision on prevention and treatment of COVID-19 disease.Originality/valueThe study contributes to knowledge and literature on response and preventive measures on COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries.

Addressing another threat to food safety: Conflict

Conflicts across the globe affect food security and also have a heavy toll on food safety. Many of the areas affected by conflict are breadbaskets for multiple countries. When the production of staple crops is compromised by diverse conflicts, it becomes necessary to grow them somewhere else to satisfy local, regional, and/or international requirements. However, if that production is done in tropical and subtropical zones, it must be done incorporating strategies to prevent mycotoxin contamination, which has negative health, social, and economic impacts. Otherwise, increased production of susceptible crops in mycotoxin-prone areas may augment the already occurring negative impacts, which are severe in the global south.

Cushioning the Covid-19 Economic Consequences on Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: The Role of Stakeholders' Engagement, Collaboration, and Support

The Covid-19 (corona virus) disruptions have necessitated a new way of thinking about how entrepreneurship and its environments (ecosystems) function in times of heightened uncertainty. Based on a sample of 237 entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) stakeholders in Tanzania – an emerging economy, we examine the pandemic economic consequences steered by government countermeasures on the EE-perceived quality and performance. We further examined the role played by EE stakeholders' engagement, collaboration, and support during the crisis. Our structural equation model results suggest that strictness of government counter measures for containment of the current pandemic predicament has a bearing on EE- perceived quality and performance by fueling EE vulnerability via amplifying the magnitude of the negative effects. We further find that stakeholders' engagement and collaboration play a significant role in improving the EE-perceived quality and slowing down EE-vulnerability. We conclude by providing the implications and avenues for future research. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of African Business is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)