Africa University graduates aid community health
By Andra Stevens*
June 19, 2007 | MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UMNS)
 Two
pioneer graduates in the master’s program of Health Sciences at Africa
University are using research and professional contributions to promote
public health in the communities they serve.
Dr. Kasombo Tshiani, a physician, and Margaret Tagwira, a laboratory
technician, received Master of Public Health degrees from Africa
University June 9 during the institution’s 13th graduation ceremony.
Both are engaged in studies to improve public health and public safety
in Zimbabwe.
A physician from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tshiani is based
at the hospital of the Nyadire Mission of The United Methodist Church.
For his thesis, he investigated factors contributing to an increase in
traffic accidents and related injuries and deaths in Zimbabwe.
Tagwira’s research focused on health laboratories in six hospitals in
the Mutasa District in the eastern province of Manicaland in Zimbabwe.
The study’s objective was to assess laboratory capacity and related
factors in controlling tuberculosis, malaria and HIV infection.
Dr. Barbael Krumme, a community health specialist in Africa
University’s Faculty of Health Sciences, supervised their research. "It
is very important for a doctor who is totally focused on the individual
in terms of care to have this broader view of what is good for the
population and to understand how to balance public health interests and
individual interests," she said.
Life-saving research
|
Dr. Kasombo Tshiani
|
Tshiani's study involved interviewing drivers and reviewing accident
records in police departments and hospitals. Using data primarily from
Mutare, home of Africa University, he found that fatality rates can be
reduced if speed controls are consistently enforced. The study also
found that time of day, careless driving, environmental factors and
vehicle defects are contributing to the increase in road accidents and
traffic injuries and deaths.
His findings may assist in finding new strategies to improve road
safety. Tshiani has made specific recommendations to road safety
organizations, police departments, businesses that employ large numbers
of drivers and other stakeholders.
Tagwira’s health laboratory study findings also touched the
conditions of service of laboratory personnel, their training in
management and their ability to maintain their equipment, all of which
she found to be in need of improvement.
The results revealed inadequacies in infrastructure, human resources
and equipment. It concluded that health systems need strengthening and
that quality assurance programs need to be developed and implemented.
"We have to be able to do effective disease surveillance so that we
know if our health systems are performing adequately or if they are
lacking in any way," said Tagwira. "If we find that systems are lacking,
then we must look at how they can be helped. If the systems are failing
to control tuberculosis and malaria, how can we even think about being
effective against the new threats like bird flu?"
Translating academics to life
Both Africa University graduates are working to impact their communities.
As the only doctor at the Nyadire Mission, Tshiani is responsible for
overall administration and clinical services at the 200-bed rural
hospital, which serves about 1,000 patients a month, including malaria
and surgical cases, and provides health services to significant numbers
of people living with HIV/AIDS. In addition, the hospital reaches out to
surrounding communities by supporting the work of local clinics. It
provides immunizations, collects and passes on statistics to national
health officials, tracks trends and implements prevention measures.
|
Margaret Tagwira
|
"This hospital is good for putting what I’ve learned (in the master’s
program) into practice. It is also a good place for gaining experience
and making a difference," he said.
Tagwira is working in the university’s Faculty of Agriculture and
Natural Resources and is as busy off campus and in the community as she
is in the school's agriculture laboratories.
For more than a decade, she has shared her knowledge of mushroom production with others in the community.
She created a model small-scale operation that consists of rabbit
hutches feeding into a vegetable garden and a fish pond and is
demonstrating how, with very modest resources and practical training,
vulnerable and marginalized citizens such as orphans can become
successful agribusiness operators.
Orphaned children and young people comprise more than 10 percent of
Zimbabwe’s population, and many are girls who often must provide for
younger siblings. Tagwira is passionate about resourcing and preparing
them to support themselves and to make meaningful contributions in their
communities.
"I’m of the view that public health practice is not restricted to offices, hospitals and classrooms," she said.
*Stevens is director of information and public affairs at Africa University.
News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
Related Articles
Africa University awards 282 degrees at graduation
New Africa University program yields first graduates
Africa University sees broader role as service provider
Africa University graduates 1st health science class, gives 400 degrees
AU, a model of creative leadership in turbulent times
Graduate credits training, alumni network, for success
Pioneer class graduates from Africa University’s peace institute
Africa University copes with Zimbabwe’s economy
Resources
Africa University
Africa University Fund
African Capacity Building Foundation
Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance | 
Translate
Korean News
