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PubMed1990

Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) in KwaZulu and Namibia in 11-year-old children in 1988.

A sample of 603 11-year-old children from four low fluoride (less than 0.15 ppm) and one higher fluoride (1.56 ppm) communities in Namibia and KwaZulu were examined in 1988 using the CPITN. In a rural low fluoride community in Namibia only 6 per cent of children had healthy mouths compared with 42-58 per cent in the other communities. The main periodontal lesion seen was gingival bleeding (19-47 per cent) followed by calculus (6-47 per cent). There is a need for both oral hygiene improvement and simple intervention.

Child↗
PubMed1993

[The nurse as preceptor in personnel development in teaching hospitals in Namibia].

A study undertaken in 1991 focused on the role fulfilment of the preceptor in staff development in training hospitals in Namibia. As in the case in many countries the nursing service climate in Namibia is characterised by constant change in the practice of professional nurses. The preceptor must accompany the professional nurses in their personal and professional development.

Hospitals, Teaching↗
PubMed1997

Genetic study of African populations: polymorphisms of the plasma proteins TF, PL, F13B, and AHSG in populations of Namibia and Mozambique.

Genetic variations of four highly polymorphic serum proteins, TF, PI, F13B, and AHSG, were tested to distinguish one black African and one Khoisan population of southwest Africa. The results show that indeed the systems TF, PI, and AHSG are of high value for anthropological genetics: The allele frequencies for these systems enable clear identification of and distinction between black African and Khoisan populations. The F13B locus, on the other hand, reveals for both the black African and the Khoisan populations specific and unique African variants: a high frequency of F13B*2 and the lowest frequency of F13B*3 so far worldwide. The new data are compared with results for TF and PI in another black African population of Mozambique, which Rodewald et al. (1988) had studied previously. The dendrogram, based on genetic distance data D and average linkage cluster analysis, shows minimal distance between both black African populations of Namibia and Mozambique and marked distance between those and the Khoisan population of Namibia.

Alleles↗
PubMed1996

Brief communication: new primate remains from the Miocene of Namibia, southern Africa.

Miocene primates from southern Africa are extremely rare. For this reason we wish to place on record several interesting new fossil primate specimens recently recovered from the Miocene sites of Berg Aukas and Harasib in the Otavi Mountain region of northern Namibia. The new finds consist of a virtually complete atlas vertebra from Berg Aukas attributable to the hominoid Otavipithecus namibiensis and two teeth and four postcranial fragments from Harasib referrable to Cercopithecoidea. The atlas vertebra exhibits anatomical characteristics intermediate between those of modern cercopithecoids and hominoids which may be indicative of a transition from pronograde to orthograde postures. The cercopithecoid remains show that the earliest Old World monkeys known from southern Africa were small, approximately the size of vervet monkeys. These new specimens are important because they provide the first evidence relating to possible positional behaviors of Otavipithecus and the earliest fossil record of cercopithecoids from southern Africa.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Outcome of children treated for cancer in the Republic of Namibia.

The data of a survey undertaken to record all cases of childhood cancer in Namibia from 1983 to 1988 were analyzed to estimate 5-year survival rates. The projected survival rate for 150 children with cancer was 37% with no difference between boys and girls. The calculated survival rates for most of the tumor groups were poor with the exception of Wilms' tumor which had a 5-year survival rate of 76%. The zero survival rate of children with malignant bone disease may have been due to inadequate treatment. Neuroblastoma and retinoblastoma presented with advanced disease which contributed to the poor survival rates of 13% and 46%, respectively. The overall survival rate for lymphoma of 53% and 39% for all leukemias compares poorly with the rates obtained in industrialized countries. The relatively poor 25% survival rate in tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) may partly be due to the long delay between the initial diagnosis and the institution of appropriate treatment for raised intracranial pressure and for the tumor. Both cure and long-term follow-up are difficult to achieve in a developing country. Improved early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are necessary to improve survival rates.

Child↗
PubMed1980

Brachymesophalangia V in Hottentot and "Cape Colored" children in Namibia (South West Africa) and South Africa.

In order to determine the incidence of Brachymesophalangia V, an inspectional and metrical analysis was made of radiographs of 67 Nama-speaking Hottentots aged 2 to 17.5 years, and 210 Rehoboth Basters (in Namibia) and Cape Colored children (near Cape Town) aged 1.5 to 21 years. None of the children displayed cone-shaped epiphysis or early union, and none showed Brachymesophalangia V. It was confirmed that the incidence of Brachymesophalangia V is considerably higher in Mongoloid populations than in Caucasoid or Negroid groups, including Hottentots.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Fossil Homo femur from Berg Aukas, northern Namibia.

The proximal half of a hominid femur was recovered from deep within a paleokarst feature at the Berg Aukas mine, northern Namibia. The femur is fully mineralized, but it is not possible to place it in geochronological context. It has a very large head, an exceptionally thick diaphyseal cortex, and a very low collodiaphyseal angle, which serve to differentiate it from Holocene homologues. The femur is not attributable to Australopithecus, Paranthropus, or early Homo (i.e., H. habilis sensu lato). Homo erectus femora have a relatively longer and AP flatter neck, and a shaft that exhibits less pilaster than the Berg Aukas specimen. Berg Aukas also differs from early modern femora in several features, including diaphyseal cortical thickness and the degree of subtrochanteric AP flattening. The massive diaphyseal cortex of Berg Aukas finds its closest similarity within archaic H. sapiens (e.g., Castel di Guido) and H. erectus (e.g., KNM-ER 736) samples. It has more cortical bone at midshaft than any other specimen, although relative cortical thickness and the asymmetry of its cross-sectional disposition at this level are comparable with those of other Pleistocene femora. The closest morphological comparisons with Berg Aukas are in archaic (i.e., Middle Pleistocene) H. sapiens and Neandertal samples.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Onyalai in Namibia. Clinical manifestations, haematological findings, course and management of 103 patients in the Kavango territory.

A series of 103 patients with onyalai, from the Kavango territory in Namibia, is recorded. In addition to haemorrhagic bullae in every patient, epistaxis was present in 53, petechiae and ecchymoses in 23, subconjunctival or scleral bleeds in 17, melaena and haematemesis in 16, haematuria in 12 and menorrhagia in 9 patients. The male:female ratio was 43:60. The ages varied from 6 months to 70 years with a peak incidence between 11 and 20 years. The mean platelet count was 22 X 10(9)/l and the mean haemoglobin 10.3 g/dl on admission. The management consisted of the correction of blood loss. A splenectomy in 2 patients with uncontrollable haemorrhage caused a rise in the platelet count. Prednisolone and intravenous gammaglobulin had the same effect on the platelet count as ascorbic acid (placebo). Vincristine sulphate appeared to benefit some patients. One year's observation of 21 patients demonstrated that 80% of cases will have chronic thrombocytopenia with a risk of intermittent attacks of acute haemorrhage. Six patients died, 4 of cerebral haemorrhage and 2 of haemorrhagic shock. Four infants born to mothers with onyalai were normal at birth. Onyalai should be clearly distinguished from classical idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, a disease also encountered in Africa.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Intestinal helminths of hospital patients in Kavango territory, Namibia.

In-patient and out-patient faeces examination reports from the State Hospital in Rundu, Kavango territory, Namibia, gave some idea of the prevalence of helminthic infections. 4174 specimens were examined over a 29-month period. Hookworm (6.8%) and Strongyloides (2.7%) were the most common infections, followed by Hymenolepis nana (1%), Schistosoma mansoni (1%) and Taenia sp. (0.9%). S. mansoni was more common in males than females, hookworm more common in females than males, and H. nana was most common in the pre-school group. Promiscuous defaecation on the banks of the Okavango river provides ideal situations for the development and transmission of hookworm and Strongyloides, while fishing and other activities enhance the transmission of S. mansoni infections. Larva migrans, probably due to Ancyclostoma braziliense or A. caninum, is common in the area. Studies involving schoolchildren would provide more accurate assessment of the prevalences of the various helminths.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Onyalai at Rundu, Namibia 1981-1988: age, sex, morbidity, mortality and seasonal variation of 612 hospitalized patients.

Of 51,263 admissions to Rundu State Hospital in Namibia between 1981 and 1988, 612 (1.19%) were diagnosed as onyalai. The annual incidence varied between 0.96% and 1.66% of all admissions. The female to male ratio was 3:2. The mean age at presentation was 24.8 years (range 6 months to 80 years) and the mean hospital stay (and duration of clinical bleeding) for the years 1981 to 1982 and 1985 to 1988 was 7.68 d (range 1-38 d). Although the highest number of cases occurred during the months March, April and May a statistically significant monthly variation was not found. The treatment policy of commencing intravenous fluid on admission and a blood transfusion whenever the haemoglobin dropped below 10 g/dl in patients with active bleeding was associated with a mortality rate of 2.78% compared to 9.8% in cases recorded up to 1981.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serological markers of hepatitis B virus and certain other viruses in the population of eastern Caprivi, Namibia.

Serum samples from 475 male and 420 female subjects from the population of eastern Caprivi, the north-easternmost territory in northern Namibia, were examined for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibodies to HBsAg (anti-HBs) and hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). There appeared to be a rapid acquisition of antibodies to the different markers in childhood, reaching maximum values in the 20-24 year age group. The prevalence rate for all markers was lower in eastern Caprivi than in Kavango, an area 180 km to the west. The reason for these differences is unclear. It is postulated that the hut tampan tick (Ornithodoros moubata), which has previously been shown to be implicated in the transmission of hepatitis B virus in Kavango, is more common in the latter territory than in eastern Caprivi. Huts in eastern Caprivi are usually better constructed than in Kavango, where reeds are commonly used as building material. Tampans lodge between the reeds and are more difficult to eradicate. West Nile virus was the most common of the arboviruses found in our sero-prevalence studies.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1988

The political economy of health care: colonial Namibia 1915-1961.

The political economy of health care services in colonial Namibia during 1915-1961 closely reflected the extreme racial and class imbalance of power in a conquest state. The colonial power allocated to the indigent nine-tenths, the poorest nine-tenths of the people, an average 43% of the health care budget between 1922 and 1954. The League of Nations mandate proved toothless in pressuring the Mandatory power to rectify this or other inequalities.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1994

Outbreak of paralytic poliomyelitis in Namibia.

The last confirmed case of poliomyelitis in Namibia had been reported in 1988. However, between Nov 8, 1993, and Jan 7, 1994, 27 cases of paralytic poliomyelitis were confirmed in the country. The outbreak was limited to the south health region; at least 80% of infants in this region have received four doses of oral poliovaccine (OPV) by the age of 1 year. Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) was the predominant clinical presentation during the outbreak. The patients' ages ranged from 13 months to 12 years; 24 were younger than 5 years. Of the 26 patients whose vaccine status was known, 14 had received four doses of OPV, 6 had one or two doses, and 6 no vaccine. Genotypic analysis showed 86% homology of outbreak isolates with a 1982 Namibian isolate and west African isolates. Factors that may have had a role in the outbreak include establishment of a pool of susceptible people, rapid urbanisation, inadequate sanitation, poor water supply, and possible endemicity of poliovirus in neighbouring areas. Epidemics can occur in areas of high vaccine coverage. Our findings emphasise the need to improve AFP surveillance activities and the estimation of vaccine coverage to identify areas of potential susceptibility for outbreaks.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1996

Analysis of lymphocytes from uranium mineworkers in Namibia for chromosomal damage using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

Workers in the open pit uranium mine in Namibia appear to suffer from health problems including malignant diseases at a much higher prevalence when compared with the general population. The objective of the present study was to determine whether long-term exposure to low-dose uranium increases the risk of biological radiation damage which could lead to malignant diseases. In order to investigate this risk, we measured the relative frequency of chromosome alterations using Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). A representative cohort of 11 non-smoking miners, were compared to a control group of 9 individuals with no occupational history in mining. We determined a significant increase in chromosome aberrations in the circulating lymphocytes of miners versus the non-smoking controls (p = 0.0000096). Therefore, we concluded that these uranium exposed miners are at an increased risk to acquire genetic damage, which may be associated with an increased risk for malignant transformation.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Using remote sensing to predict outbreaks of Oestrus ovis in Namibia.

The Directorate of Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development of Namibia issues warnings to farmers in the south of the country about the likelihood of infestation of small-stock by the nasal bot fly, Oestrus ovis. Farmers can then treat their stock at the most appropriate time. The O. ovis puparia develop at shallow depths in the soil and the timing of emergence is directly dependent on climate conditions, specifically the number of degree-days above a particular threshold soil temperature. Based on temperature measurements from only a few stations scattered throughout the country, the veterinary department warnings lack precision in space and time. This paper presents an attempt to support the programme of warnings with accumulated temperature information from Meteosat satellite images, in order to strengthen predictions of the time of emergence in specific places, and to improve the precision and reliability of warnings given to farmers.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Temporal patterns of domestic and wildlife rabies in central Namibia stock-ranching area, 1986-1996.

Eleven years (1986-1996) of wildlife- and domestic-rabies data from the agriculture stock-ranching area of central Namibia were studied using time-series analysis. Nine hundred and sixty three rabies cases were observed in domestic ruminants (5.4 cases/mo), black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas, 1.3 cases/mo), domestic dogs (0.5 case/mo), and bat-eared foxes (Otocyon megalotis, 0.1 case/mo). The incidence of rabies for all species did not change significantly over the whole study period. However, seasonal variations with an increase in the number of cases between June and November of each year, as well as 34 yr cyclical fluctuations were identified in domestic ruminants and black-backed jackals. The black-backed jackal time-series variable was a significant predictor of the domestic-ruminant and dog time-series variables. The rainfall seasonality combined with the seasonal reproductive pattern of the black-backed jackal appeared to be plausible explanations for the seasonal variations of rabies. However, there was no overall significant correlation between the cyclical weather fluctuations and the 3-4 yr cyclical rabies variations.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Differential fertility and body build in !Kung San and Kavango females from northern Namibia.

The study examines the impact of body build on differential fertility patterns in 93 !Kung San and 85 Kavango females from northern Namibia. In both groups shorter females had more offspring, but also more dead offspring, than taller females. The interaction between body weight and fertility was different in both groups and may be due to different nursing behaviour. There was a positive relationship between the typical pedomorphy and fertility in the !Kung San, and directional selection processes may be important.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Probable calcified metaphytes in the latest Proterozoic Nama Group, Namibia: origin, diagenesis, and implications.

Samples from the Huns Limestone Member, Urusis Formation, Nama Group, at two adjacent localities in southern Namibia contain thin foliose to arched, sheet-like carbonate crusts that are 100-500 micrometers thick and up to 5 cm in lateral dimension. Morphologic, petrographic, and geochemical evidence supports the interpretation of these delicate crusts as biogenic, most likely the remains of calcified encrusting metaphytes. The original sediments of the fossiliferous samples contained aragonitic encrusting algae, botryoidal aragonite cements, and an aragonite mud groundmass. Spherulites within the precursor mud could represent bacterially induced mineral growths or the concretions of marine rivularian cyanobacteria. Original textures were severely disrupted during the diagenetic transition of aragonite to low-magnesian calcite, but some primary structures remain discernible as ghosts in the neomorphic mosaic. Gross morphology, original aragonite mineralogy, and hypobasal calcification indicate that the crusts are similar to late Paleozoic phylloid algae and extant peyssonnelid red algae. Structures interpreted as possible conceptacles also suggest possible affinities with the Corallinaceae. Two species of Cloudina, interpreted as the remains of a shelly metazoan, are also known from limestones in the Nama Group. It is possible, therefore, that skeletalization in metaphytes and animals arose nearly simultaneously near the end of the Proterozoic Eon.

Animals↗