BACKGROUND To prevent mother to child transmission(MTCT)of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV),sustained maternal viral load suppression(VLS)and early HIV testing among HIV exposed infants(HEI)is critical.AIM To investi...BACKGROUND To prevent mother to child transmission(MTCT)of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV),sustained maternal viral load suppression(VLS)and early HIV testing among HIV exposed infants(HEI)is critical.AIM To investigate maternal viral load results and infant HIV testing uptake at 6-weeks,and 9-months and 18-months in Rwanda.METHODS Between 2015 and 2022,VLS(<200 copies/mL)was measured among pregnant women living with HIV(WLHIV)from 38-healthcare facilities.Viral loads(VL)were measured at 6-months,12-months and 24-months,respectively.For maternal VL,the unit of analysis was visit-pair,and the pairs were created to define those with VL<200 copies/mL at two consecutive visits as having sustained VLS,persistent viremia(VL≥200 copies/mL at two consecutive visits),viral rebound(VL<200 copies/mL at prior visit only)and newly suppressed(VL<200 copies/mL at subsequent visit only).HEI were considered to have persistent HIV testing if they had all three HIV tests.Poisson regression models with generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the adjusted incidence rate ratio(aIRR)and 95%CI for factors associated with sustained VLS and persistent HIV testing.RESULTS A total of 1145 mother-infant pairs were analyzed.Infant HIV testing uptake at 6-weeks,9-months and 18-months was 1145(100.0%),1089(95.1%),1006(87.9%)respectively.Nine hundred ninety-nine HEI(87.3%)tested for HIV persistently.At 18-months,the incidence of HIV among HEI was 8(0.7%).Of 1145 mothers,1076(94.0%)had≥2 VL results making a total of 2010 visit-pairs(142-single;934-double visit-pairs).The incidence rate of sustained VLS,persistent viremia,viral rebound and new suppression were 91.0%,1.3%,3.6%and 4.0%respectively.Maternal disclosure of HIV status(aIRR=1.08,95%CI:1.02-1.14)was associated with increased likelihood of sustained VLS.Having peer support(aIRR=1.0595%CI:1.01-1.10)was associated with persistent HIV testing among HEI.CONCLUSION Sustained VLS is high among pregnant WLHIV in Rwanda.The low incidence of HIV among HEI may be attributed to high VLS levels.Targeted interventions,including enhanced HIV disclosure and peer support,are crucial for improving sustained VLS and increasing infant HIV testing uptake to reduce MTCT.展开更多
BACKGROUND Sustained viral load(VL)suppression is an important indicator of successful treatment among people living with human immunodeficiency virus(HIV).AIM To assess trends of different VL outcomes before and afte...BACKGROUND Sustained viral load(VL)suppression is an important indicator of successful treatment among people living with human immunodeficiency virus(HIV).AIM To assess trends of different VL outcomes before and after adoption of the Treat All policy among people living with HIV in Rwanda.METHODS Between 2014 and 2017,VL suppression[VL suppression(VLS)<200 copies/mL]was measured among people living with HIV from 28 healthcare facilities in Rwanda.Participant VL was measured at 6 months,18 months,and 30 months.The unit of analysis was visit-pair,with subjects across four visit-pair categories:(1)Sustained VL suppression(VL<200 copies/mL at two consecutive visits);(2)Persistent viremia(VL≥200 copies/mL at two consecutive visits);(3)Viral rebound(VL<200 copies/mL at prior visit only);and(4)Newly suppressed(VL<200 copies/mL at subsequent visit only).Poisson regression models with generalized estimating equations were used to estimate adjusted incidence risk ratio(aIRR)and 95%confidence intervals(CIs)for factors associated with sustained VLS.To handle missing data,multiple imputations was performed.RESULTS A total of 634 participants contributed 973 visit-pairs(295 single pairs and 339 double pairs).The median age was 37 years(interquartile range:32-43 years).The incidence rates of sustained VLS,persistent viremia,viral rebound,and new suppression were 85.2%,4.3%,4.6%,and 5.7%,respectively.Young individuals aged 18-24 years had higher incidence of viral rebound compared to those 25 years or older(14.8%vs 4.3%;P=0.011).Of the visit-pairs that had sustained VLS during the first two visits(49.8%;n=485),56.7%exhibited sustained VLS throughout follow-up.Compared to having no education,having at least primary education was associated with an increased likelihood of sustained VLS(aIRR=1.09;95%CI:1.01-1.17).Those who presented with advanced HIV disease at baseline had a 12%reduced likelihood of sustained VLS(aIRR=0.88;95%CI:0.79-0.99).Achieving sustained VLS did not differ before or after adoption of the Treat All policy.When the analysis was repeated on imputed datasets,similar results were found.CONCLUSION Although most people living with HIV have sustained VLS in Rwanda,individuals without formal education,those presenting with advanced HIV,and younger individuals were lagging on multiple outcomes.Interventions tailored to these individuals would improve treatment outcomes to achieve epidemic control.展开更多
Climate change and global warming are widely recognized as the most significant environmental dilemma the world is experiencing today. Recent studies have shown that the Earth’s surface air temperature has increased ...Climate change and global warming are widely recognized as the most significant environmental dilemma the world is experiencing today. Recent studies have shown that the Earth’s surface air temperature has increased by 0.6°C - 0.8°C during the 20th century, along with changes in the hydrological cycle. This has alerted the international community and brought great interest to climate scientists leading to several studies on climate trend detection at various scales. This paper examines the long-term modification of the near surface air temperature in Rwanda. Time series of near surface air temperature data for the period ranging from 1958 to 2010 for five weather observatories were collected from the Rwanda National Meteorological Service. Variations and trends of annual mean temperature time series were examined. The cumulative sum charts (CUSUM) and bootstrapping and the sequential version of the Mann Kendall Rank Statistic were used for the detection of abrupt changes. Regression analysis was performed for the trends and the Mann-Kendall Rank Statistic Test was used for the examination of their significance. Statistically significant abrupt changes and trends have been detected. The major change point in the annual mean temperature occurred around 1977-1979. The analysis of the annual mean temperature showed for all observatories a not very significant cooling trend during the period ranging from 1958 to 1977-1979 while a significant warming trend was furthermore observed for the period after the 1977-1979 where Kigali, the Capital of Rwanda, presented the highest values of the slope (0.0455/year) with high value of coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.6798), the Kendall’s tau statistic (M-K = 0.62), the Kendall Score (S = 328) with a two-sided p-value far less than the confidence level α of 5%). This is most likely explained by the growing population and increasing urbanization and industrialization the country has experienced, especially the Capital City Kigali, during the last decades.展开更多
Complex processes of sediment transport in a river impact on overall aquatic system and result in the productivity decrease of socio-economic development projects taking the river as a source of water. The present stu...Complex processes of sediment transport in a river impact on overall aquatic system and result in the productivity decrease of socio-economic development projects taking the river as a source of water. The present study was designed to estimate Sebeya river sediment load and assess its impacts on Lake Kivu, Gihira water treatment plant and various hydropower plants constructed in Sebeya catchment located in Western Province of Rwanda. Water samples were hand-collected from five different sampling points along Sebeya river during rainy and dry seasons. Laboratory analysis for turbidity, total suspended solids, sieve analysis for bed load materials and NPK content of water samples were conducted. The results revealed that the average turbidity was found to be high during rainy season compared to dry season. The same trend was found in total suspended solids concentrations. At all 5 sampling sites and during rainy season compared to dry season, the average mass flowrates of bed load materials were 7.84 and 2.96 kg/hr respectively. Sieve analysis results showed that all bed load sediments were mainly composed of high proportions of fine sand of more than 70% which adversely causes damages on hydropower turbines and the effect of high soil erosion rates on Gihira water treatment plant was traduced by high turbidity of raw water and excessive costs of reagents. At Sebeya outlet, nutrients load and high turbidity reduce significantly the aesthetic quality of Lake Kivu, having a harmful impact on recreation and tourism, aquatic life and affect the livelihoods of people living in the vicinity. Researchers recommend two options of reducing the amount of sediment load in Sebeya river: either to prevent soil erosion or to trap eroded sediment at the upstream of the hydropower and the water treatment plants. Assessing the sediment load fluctuations in Sebeya river is useful for water managers and planners to adjust operations accordingly at water treatment and hydropower plants.展开更多
Trees play a key role in neighborhood landscapes, a belief that has been widely held for millennia in areas beyond Sub-Saharan Africa. Unfortunately, awareness of modern landscape architecture was almost absent in Rwa...Trees play a key role in neighborhood landscapes, a belief that has been widely held for millennia in areas beyond Sub-Saharan Africa. Unfortunately, awareness of modern landscape architecture was almost absent in Rwanda until the late 20th century. Today, houses with sur- rounding decorative and amenity plants ate a common feature in Rwanda＇s neighborhood landscapes and, as the villagization of settle- ments progresses, new kinds of landscapes are emerging. This paper explores neighborhood tree planting around human settlements in the country. Remote sensing, photogrammetry, photo interpretation, and plant surveys were the core methods used. The average tree cover frac- tion ranged between 10%-35%. As the result of what is hereafter referred to as the ＂luxury effect,＂ a discrete gradient was detected along which the diversity of ornamental and amenity trees increases with the socio-economic status of neighborhoods： from rural settlements to urban residences via a series of intermediate designs, in which different levels of human-built vegetated areas alternate with non-landscaped spaces. Showy, non-productive amenity trees tend to occur more in wealthy quarters of the inner core of cities while edible ornamentals and other productive neighborhood trees prevail in rural and spontaneous settle- ments. In general, the practice of landscape plant design, in spite of its constant improvement, is still striving to get established as a profession in the country.展开更多
Nowadays, rainwater harvesting (RWH) technology is increasingly adopted as a strategic pathway for reducing poverty in rural drought prone areas for enhancing agricultural productivity and boosting farm income. The ai...Nowadays, rainwater harvesting (RWH) technology is increasingly adopted as a strategic pathway for reducing poverty in rural drought prone areas for enhancing agricultural productivity and boosting farm income. The aim of this study is to assess the level of adoption and the impacts of RWH ponds on farm income in Ntarama sector of Bugesera District in Eastern Province of Rwanda. Fifteen farm ponds were visited and the level at which households adopted RWH ponds, their impact on farm income and performance in storing water were assessed. Interviews and questionnaires methods were used to farm ponds beneficiaries and the storage capacity of farm ponds was calculated to ensure that they meet irrigation water demand. Then, Microsoft excel was used as a data analysis tool. The results show that 42.5% of households have adopted RWH ponds and the adoption level of RWH ponds fails due to the lack of training about the role and use of RWH ponds before their implementation. Beside this the low level of public involvement during the site selection for ponds associated with social conflicts among water users was observed. However, it is further revealed that the use of RWH ponds positively impacts on agricultural income on 1/4 hectare per year by about 2,325,000 RWF (3100USD). The studied portion of area can bear 222 ponds of 120 m<sup>3</sup> each if all the rain is harvested throughout the year instead of being three ponds. Furthermore, we found that the quantity of rainwater harvested of 328.5 m<sup>3</sup> as a total of the 3 ponds was still too less to meet irrigation water demand. As negative impacts, the RWH technology can cause dangerous effects such as social conflicts, breeding site for mosquitoes, water related diseases, accidents and others with a level of severity of 32%, 24%, 20%, 16% and 8%, respectively. This happens when the RWH ponds are not properly managed.展开更多
Global atmospheric and oceanic perturbations and local weather variability induced factors highly alter the rainfall pattern of a region. Such factors result in extreme events of devastating nature to mankind. Rainfal...Global atmospheric and oceanic perturbations and local weather variability induced factors highly alter the rainfall pattern of a region. Such factors result in extreme events of devastating nature to mankind. Rainfall Intensity Duration Frequency (IDF) is one of the most commonly used tools in water resources engineering particularly to identify design storm event of various magnitude, duration and return period simultaneously. In light of this, the present study is aimed at developing rainfall IDF relationship for entire Rwanda based on selected twenty six (26) rainfall gauging stations. The gauging stations have been selected based on reliable rainfall records representing the different geographical locations varying from 14 to 83 years of record length. Daily annual maximum rainfall data has been disaggregated into sub-daily values such as 0.5 hr, 1 hr, 3 hr, 6 hr and 12 hr and fitted to the probability distributions. Quantile estimation has been made for different return periods and best fit distribution is identified based on least square standard error of estimate. At-site and regional IDF parameters were computed and subsequent curves were established for different return period. The moment ratio diagram (MRD) and L-moment ratio diagram (LMRD) methods have been used to fit frequency distributions and identify homogeneous regions for observed 24-hr maximum annual rainfall. The rainfall stations have been divided into five homogeneous rainfall regions for all 26 stations. The results of present analysis can be used as useful information for future water resources development planning purposes.展开更多
Background: Scant data on upper gastrointestinal cancers in Rwanda exist to guide potential prevention efforts. We evaluated the epidemiological, clinical and histopathological data among patients with gastric and eso...Background: Scant data on upper gastrointestinal cancers in Rwanda exist to guide potential prevention efforts. We evaluated the epidemiological, clinical and histopathological data among patients with gastric and esophageal tumors at a tertiary Referral Hospital in Rwanda. Methodology: We performed a retrospective review of histologically-confirmed esophageal and gastric cancers in adults age ≥ 18 yrs. old presenting to a university teaching hospital (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Butare) from 2014-2019. Variables included age at diagnosis, sex, clinical presentation, tumor location and histopathological type. Results: There were 149 upper gastrointestinal cancers, of which 137 (92%) were gastric and 12 (8%) were esophageal. Gastric cancer patients had a mean age at presentation of 56.9 ± 12.3 years (range 21 - 87). Presenting symptoms were epigastric pain (78.8%), weight loss (53.3%), post-prandial vomiting (52.6%), early satiety (29.9%), epigastric mass (24.8%), hematemesis (19.7%) and melena (16.8%). The location was antrum 50.3%, corpus 21.8%, fundus 8%, and cardia 8%. Tumor type was adenocarcinoma in 94.1%. Helicobacter pylori infection was present in 108 (78.8%). Esophageal cancer patients had a mean age of 54.4 ± 9.5 years (range 35 - 72). Presenting symptoms were dysphagia (100%) and weight loss (83%). The most common site was lower third esophagus (9/12), and adenocarcinoma cancer subtype accounted for 5/12 (41.6%) cases. Conclusion: Gastric adenocarcinoma was the most commonly diagnosed upper gastrointestinal cancers and was associated with a high prevalence of H. pylori infection. This study lays the foundation for future work to improve cancer outcomes in Rwanda.展开更多
The impact of topography on heavy rainfall during two rain seasons was investigated in order to explain their mechanisms on rainfall distribution over Rwanda. Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model was used ...The impact of topography on heavy rainfall during two rain seasons was investigated in order to explain their mechanisms on rainfall distribution over Rwanda. Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model was used to study two historical cases of heavy rainfall which took place over Rwanda during two rain seasons, March to May (MAM) and September to December (SOND), from April 7 to 9, 2012 (for MAM) and from October 29 to 31, 2012 (during SOND). The control experiment was done with actual topography, whereas sensitivity experiment was carried out with topography reduced by half. Results show that rainfall distribution over Rwanda significantly changes when topography is reduced. The reduction in topography leads to a decrease in rainfall amounts in both MAM and SOND seasons, with varying magnitudes. This reveals the importance of orography in determining rainfall amounts and distribution over the region. The accumulated rainfall amount from WRF underestimate or overestimate rain gauge stations data by region and by season, but there is good agreement especially in altitude below 1490 m and above 1554 m during April and October respectively. The results may motivate modelling carters to further improve parameterization schemes in the mountainous regions.展开更多
Comprehensive studies on how vegetative ecosystems respond to fluctuations in precipitation and temperature patterns are of great necessity for environmental risk assessment and land-use evaluations. The present study...Comprehensive studies on how vegetative ecosystems respond to fluctuations in precipitation and temperature patterns are of great necessity for environmental risk assessment and land-use evaluations. The present study examined the annual trends in vegetation greenness in Rwanda from 2000-2015 and assessed the relationship between these dynamics and climate factors by means of MODIS NDVI, air temperature, SOI and precipitation datasets. Mann Kendal trend test has been utilized to determine the direction and the rates of changes, while Spearman’s rank correlation method has been used to determine the levels of associability between NDVI changes and climatic variables. The results indicate that approximately 11.9% of the country’s vegetation has significantly improved (р < 0.05) from slight to significant improvement while 10.4% of the vegetative cover degraded from slight to severe degradation and an estimated 77.6% of the country’s vegetation cover has remained relatively stable. Much of improvement has been detected in the lowlands of eastern province whereas much of degradation has been highlighted in the western highlands of the Congo Nile ridge and Kigali city. There was a weak correlation between NDVI anomalies and SOI anomalies (rs = 0.36) while near surface air temperature was moderately correlated (rs = 0.47) with changes in Mean NDVI. Precipitation was more significantly associated (r = 0.84) with changes in vegetation health in low plains of Eastern Province (Nyagatare District in particular) than in the high altitude regions of the Congo Nile ridge. A strong positive correlation with precipitation was found in rain fed croplands;mosaic vegetation;mosaic forest or shrubland, herbaceous vegetation/grass-land savannah and sparse vegetation. Identification of degradation hotspots could significantly help the government and local authorities galvanize efforts and foster results driven policies of environmental protection and regeneration countrywide.展开更多
This study explores the impact of digital literacy on adopting e-government services in Rwanda, focusing on the Irembo platform. The study addresses key gaps in the literature related to the digital divide and applies...This study explores the impact of digital literacy on adopting e-government services in Rwanda, focusing on the Irembo platform. The study addresses key gaps in the literature related to the digital divide and applies the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory. Using data from 2022 and 2023, This study employs k-means and hierarchical clustering to analyze application attributes processed through Irembo, including types, states, and prices. The findings reveal that, despite advancements in digital service delivery, disparities in access and digital literacy persist, particularly in rural areas. The study concludes with recommendations for enhancing digital literacy initiatives and improving e-government platform usability, which is essential for promoting inclusive access to public services and supporting Rwanda’s socio-economic development goals.展开更多
Keya Hydropower Plant (HPP) is a run-off-river plant which can be an effective green solution contributing to the current energy demand in Rwanda but a huge amount of sediment contained in water of Sebeya River on whi...Keya Hydropower Plant (HPP) is a run-off-river plant which can be an effective green solution contributing to the current energy demand in Rwanda but a huge amount of sediment contained in water of Sebeya River on which this plant is built results in loss of the plant capacity. The aim of this study was to conduct the performance evaluation of Keya HPP sediment basin located in Rubavu district, western province of Rwanda. Specifically, laboratory tests of sediment, efficiency of the basin, assessment of sedimentation problems on HPP operations, proposition of technical options for increasing the removal efficiency of sediment basin and other options for reducing sediment at the source of generation were performed using different methods including interviews and questioning Keya hydropower technicians, field sediment sampling followed by hydrometer and Particle Size Distribution (PSD) analysis. Analysis was made in University of Rwanda (UR) Soil Mechanics laboratory. MICROSOFT EXCEL and Graphisoft Archicad 18 softwares with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) soil classification were used as data analysis tools. Results showed that the overall efficiency removal of the diversion headwork was 85%. However, after comparing sediment concentration at the inlet and outlet of the sediment basin, it was found that the basin removed only 22% of sediment from diverted water toward the turbine. This means that 78% of sediment escapes the basin to cause erosion on the turbine components resulting in reduction of the plant capacity from 2.2 MW to 900 KW. To ensure sustainable solution to sediment issues in Keya HPP, an upstream sediment trap reservoir is proposed. It is recommended also that Rwanda Energy Group (REG) should work together with Rwanda Natural Resource Authority (RNRA) at national level to ensure sustainable development of erosion control in the Sebeya catchment area.展开更多
Standalone Solar PV systems have been vital in the improvement of access to energy in many countries.However,given the large cost of solar PV plants’components,in developing countries,there is a dear need for such co...Standalone Solar PV systems have been vital in the improvement of access to energy in many countries.However,given the large cost of solar PV plants’components,in developing countries,there is a dear need for such components to be subsidised and incentivised for the consumers to afford the produced energy.Moreover,there is a need for optimal sizing of the solar PV plants taking into account the solar information,energy requirement for various activities,and economic conditions in the off-grid regions in Rwanda.This study aims to develop optimally sized solar PV plants suited to rural communities in Rwanda.Likewise,it aims at characterizing the impacts of subsidies and incentives on the profitability and affordability of solar PV plants’energy in Rwanda.In the study,we have developed a model on basis of which the plant power(peak power)and costs of energy can be predicted given the load requirements using PVSyst.The model was validated using data corrected at eight different sites.Our generalized predictive model’s results matched the results obtained using field measurement data as inputs.The models have been able to replicate with a by degree of accuracy the peak powers and the plants’costs for different loads and were used to evaluate the economic viability of solar PV plants in Rwanda.It was found that with incentives and subsidies of 20%,the solar PV systems’costs,the Levelised Cost of Energy would drop from a maximum of 0.098 Euro to a minimum of 0.072 Euro,the payback period was reduced from a maximum of 7.5 years to a minimum of 6.0 years while the return on investments was seen to vary between 425.72 and 615.32 per cent over the plants’lifetime of 25 years.Overall our findings underscore the importance of government subsidies and incentives for solar PV energy generation projects to be significantly profitable.展开更多
Background: Of the cancers diagnosed in Rwanda, stomach cancer is one of the most encountered. In fact, Rwanda belongs to the region where it is most incident in Africa. Most of the patients present with advanced dise...Background: Of the cancers diagnosed in Rwanda, stomach cancer is one of the most encountered. In fact, Rwanda belongs to the region where it is most incident in Africa. Most of the patients present with advanced disease. Studies showed that some gastric cancers overexpress Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2/neu) protein and can be treated with Herceptin/Tras-tuzumab. This targeted therapy improves survival in patients with advanced disease. We conducted a study on Immunohistochemical profile of HER2/neu in gastric adenocarcinomas at two main Rwandan tertiary centers. Methodology: We tested for HER2/NEU in gastric adenocarcinomas diagnosed at University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK) and University Teaching Hospital of Butare (CHUB). Demographic and pathologic parameters were collected. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for HER2/neu using c-erb/HER-2/neu (clone SP3) Rabbit Monoclonal antibody was done. Using the guidelines established by Hoffman et al., the agreed score between 2 Rwandan pathologists and 1 USA pathologist was considered each time. Data were entered and statistically analyzed using SPSS 22. Descriptive statistical analysis method was used. P-value calculated with Chi-square analysis for positive vs negative and equivocal negative to correlate HER2/neu overexpression with other variables across both hospitals. Results: A total of 286 cases were tested. HER2/neu overexpression (score 3+ or positive) was found in 29 cases (10.1%). 8 cases (2.8%) were equivocal negative (score 2+) while 249 cases (87.1%) were negative (score 0 and 1+). Conclusion: HER2/neu is overexpressed in a subset of gastric cancers in Rwanda, a phenomenon that has been reported in other areas of the world. Testing for HER2/neu could identify patients who would get a targeted treatment with Herceptin.展开更多
Before the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi,reported rates of mental health disorders in Rwanda were low;Rwandan society and traditional healers had their own strategies to diagnose and address different mental health issu...Before the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi,reported rates of mental health disorders in Rwanda were low;Rwandan society and traditional healers had their own strategies to diagnose and address different mental health issues.Following the genocide against Tutsi in 1994,reports of psychological and mental health issues―including post traumatic stress disorders(PTSD),substance abuse and depression―increased significantly.To tackle these challenges,mental health specialists were trained―mainly in English and French―with key mental health concepts and disorders defined and elaborated in these languages.Consequently,specialists adopted Western ways of defining mental disorders and primarily referenced DSM-IV and V criteria for diagnosis.For example,most research names mental health problems that people experience as related to genocide and other events as“trauma”and“associated co morbidities”.From the research conducted by the Rwandan Biomedical Centre(RBC)on situational analysis for development of a model for management of trauma cases during the commemoration period of the genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda through Ubuzima Burambye project named problems that people suffered from as trauma,some concepts(such as“Ihungabana”,“Ihahamuka”,and“Ibikomere”)have been used to name trauma.But mental health professionals still prefer to name them as emotional,traumatic,collective,and/or collective traumatic crises.However,this use of primarily Western terms is a challenge for many Rwandan psychologists,as counselling sessions and other therapeutic interventions are conducted in Kinyarwanda.Such names might simplify concepts,as they are unable to fully translate the nuances within Kinyarwanda.To further study this linguistic issue,this current study investigated how people in Rwanda contextualise,name and give representations to the mental health problems they suffer from.It combined clinical and participatory action 88research,which started in February 2019.Participants were young survivors of genocide,people addicted to drugs from WAWA Rehabilitation Centre,as well as people who were received in the clinic/Uyisenga Ni Imanzi.Responses from the participants were classified according to their life experience on mental health pains.Twenty-nine percent of names of mental health problems from the participants were reflected on darkness,25%of them have named as emptiness,11%of participants have named their problems as heaviness,while rejection,bondage,physical pain each represent 8%,addictiveness or deviance is at 5%whereas dirtiness and judgement each has 3%.Different mental health symptoms―such as guilt,pessimism,anxiety,loneliness,depression and panic attacks―were identified to assess the respondents’mental health.The data collected from this group showed that guilt among respondents takes a higher number of 22%of names for mental health related to pains,compared to the other symptoms.On other side,pessimism is ranked at 19%,anxiety at 18%,loneliness at 17%expressivity at 16%and panic attacks is ranked at 8%.Looking at the effect of mental health pains on different aspect of life,data represented that the most affected aspect of life is the human mind at 52%,social problems and emotions at 18%each,human body at 9%and relations among people are affected at 4%.Human senses(e.g.,touch,taste,smell,hearing,sight)were used to identify and describe mental health pains.Results show that 62%of the identified unique names of the problems were found to belong to what people can feel,followed by sight(37%),touch(15%),hearing(13%),and smell(1%).However,there was no name for mental health pains related to taste.Clearly identifying and describing mental health issues in participants’local language is an essential step towards finding effective solutions.Naming a problem helps practitioners and patients develop a shared understanding of the issue at hand and what can be jointly done to address it.Conversely,the inability to name the actual disorder leaves patients in a state of confusion,unable to progress with their treatment despite the availability of professional assistance.展开更多
Legumes are high-protein, medium-energy and micronutrient-rich food consumed in many parts of the world including Africa. This study evaluated the levels of specific phenolic compounds in three legumes. Two varieties ...Legumes are high-protein, medium-energy and micronutrient-rich food consumed in many parts of the world including Africa. This study evaluated the levels of specific phenolic compounds in three legumes. Two varieties of the common bean, (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) soybeans (Glycine max L.), and peas (Pisum sativum L.) from Rwanda were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The phenolic compounds were identified by comparison to the chromatographic retention times and UV spectra of known reference compounds. This study results clearly shows the presence of 11 different phenolic compounds in common beans: gallic acid, (+)-catechin, (–)-epicatechin, caffeic acid, o-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, 4-hydrobenzoic acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid and vanillic acid. The concentration ranged from 0.59 to 2.27 mg/kg for epicatechin. High levels of catechin (13.5 to 57.9 mg/kg) ferulic acid (26.1 to 47.6 mg/kg) were also observed. Therefore, the results of this study show that Rwandan common beans are a good source of phenolic acids in particular catechins and ferulic acid.展开更多
The peat deposits in Rwanda are distributed over an area of 50,000 ha and were formed about the end of last glaciations period. However Akanyaru peat is 20,000 years old and contains peat of glacial and postglacial pe...The peat deposits in Rwanda are distributed over an area of 50,000 ha and were formed about the end of last glaciations period. However Akanyaru peat is 20,000 years old and contains peat of glacial and postglacial period. The studies show that Rwanda has 155 million tons of dry peat which can generate electrical energy and this deposit is sufficient to meet country’s vast energy requirements for 30 years. Hence, it was felt necessary to map prospective locations of peat and their energy potential. The result of the study and assessment of peat to power in Rwanda show that the average <em>in-situ</em> ash content, <em>in-situ</em> moisture content and<em> in-situ</em> bulk density of the collected peat samples are 36 wt%, 70.8 wt% and 1112 kg/m<sup>3</sup> respectively. Their average thickness ranges from 0.9 to 7.8 m. In Finland, peat was used as fuel in 1996 and produced 10% of total installed capacity. Rwanda has the same operational peat power plant in Gishoma: Rusizi District generating 15 MW connected to the national electrical grid. A peat-fuelled power plant is under construction and is expected to generate 80 MW. This plant, once completed, is expected to connect 50% more households into national grid. Thus, this effort along with other projects will increase electrical power from 208 MW to 563 MW in 2024. Peat deposit is expected to generate 500 Megawatt electrical powers for 30 years. Although an effort was done to use peat as fuel, the power plant is still vulnerable to the lack of good quality of dry peat to operate and thus efforts are on to develop suitable technology for exploitation.展开更多
Irrigation is an agricultural practice adopted in Rwanda to fight against poverty by increasing agricultural production as a big sector which occupies a central place in the economy of the country. Once irrigation pro...Irrigation is an agricultural practice adopted in Rwanda to fight against poverty by increasing agricultural production as a big sector which occupies a central place in the economy of the country. Once irrigation project is made without taking into account the environmental impacts that may occur, it may fail before the design period or may persist with the excessive generated negative impacts exceeding the targeted objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate environmental impacts of an already implemented irrigation project in Kanyonyomba swamp located in Gatsibo District of Eastern Province of Rwanda in order to quantify the benefits and to increase agricultural production by mitigating negative impacts generated by this project. The Kanyonyomba earth dam has been constructed on Kanyonyomba River in Gatsibo District with a length, a spillway crest width and a reservoir height of 210 m, 4 m and 8.5 m respectively. The site observations on land, the interviews analysis and water and soil laboratory tests were conducted to assess various environmental impacts. The analysis of the results reveals the presence of positive impacts including increased agricultural space and agricultural production through the introduction of rice cultivation in this medium. However, this project has led to multiple adverse effects in the hosting environment impacts that need to be mitigated including the increased incidence of diseases in the surrounding population and accidents resulting from an increased exposure of people to the dam reservoir. Moderation of soil acidity, the use of the dam reservoir as a water supply source, the provision of boots and gloves to protect farmers from being contaminated by water living microorganisms and the development of impacts monitoring plan are among the proposed measures in order to mitigate these environmental impacts.展开更多
Rwanda is a landlocked country in central-eastern Africa.As a country highly dependent on rain-fed agriculture,Rwanda is vulnerable to rainfall variability.Observational data show that there are two rainy seasons in R...Rwanda is a landlocked country in central-eastern Africa.As a country highly dependent on rain-fed agriculture,Rwanda is vulnerable to rainfall variability.Observational data show that there are two rainy seasons in Rwanda,i.e.,the long rainy season and the short rainy season.This study mainly focuses on the dominant intraseasonal rainfall mode during the long rainy season(February-May),and evaluates the forecast skill for the intraseasonal variability(ISV)over Rwanda and its surrounding regions in a state-of-the-art dynamic model.During the long rainy season,observational results reveal that the dominant intraseasonal rainfall mode in Rwanda exhibits a significant variability on the 10-25-day time scale.One-point-correlation analysis further unveils that the 10-25-day intraseasonal rainfall variability in Rwanda co-varies with that in its adjacent areas,indicating that the overall 10-25-day rainfall variability in Rwanda and its adjacent regions(8°S-3°N,29°-37°E)should be considered collectively when studying the dominant intraseasonal rainfall variability in Rwanda.Composite results show that the development of the 10-25-day rainfall variability is associated with the anomalous westerly wind in Rwanda and its surrounding regions,which may trace back to a pair of westward-propagating equatorial Rossby waves.Based on the observational findings,an ISO_rainfall_index and an ISO_wind_index are proposed for quantitatively evaluating the forecast skill.The ECMWF model has a comparable skill in predicting the wind index and the rainfall index,with both indices showing a skill of 18 days.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND To prevent mother to child transmission(MTCT)of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV),sustained maternal viral load suppression(VLS)and early HIV testing among HIV exposed infants(HEI)is critical.AIM To investigate maternal viral load results and infant HIV testing uptake at 6-weeks,and 9-months and 18-months in Rwanda.METHODS Between 2015 and 2022,VLS(<200 copies/mL)was measured among pregnant women living with HIV(WLHIV)from 38-healthcare facilities.Viral loads(VL)were measured at 6-months,12-months and 24-months,respectively.For maternal VL,the unit of analysis was visit-pair,and the pairs were created to define those with VL<200 copies/mL at two consecutive visits as having sustained VLS,persistent viremia(VL≥200 copies/mL at two consecutive visits),viral rebound(VL<200 copies/mL at prior visit only)and newly suppressed(VL<200 copies/mL at subsequent visit only).HEI were considered to have persistent HIV testing if they had all three HIV tests.Poisson regression models with generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the adjusted incidence rate ratio(aIRR)and 95%CI for factors associated with sustained VLS and persistent HIV testing.RESULTS A total of 1145 mother-infant pairs were analyzed.Infant HIV testing uptake at 6-weeks,9-months and 18-months was 1145(100.0%),1089(95.1%),1006(87.9%)respectively.Nine hundred ninety-nine HEI(87.3%)tested for HIV persistently.At 18-months,the incidence of HIV among HEI was 8(0.7%).Of 1145 mothers,1076(94.0%)had≥2 VL results making a total of 2010 visit-pairs(142-single;934-double visit-pairs).The incidence rate of sustained VLS,persistent viremia,viral rebound and new suppression were 91.0%,1.3%,3.6%and 4.0%respectively.Maternal disclosure of HIV status(aIRR=1.08,95%CI:1.02-1.14)was associated with increased likelihood of sustained VLS.Having peer support(aIRR=1.0595%CI:1.01-1.10)was associated with persistent HIV testing among HEI.CONCLUSION Sustained VLS is high among pregnant WLHIV in Rwanda.The low incidence of HIV among HEI may be attributed to high VLS levels.Targeted interventions,including enhanced HIV disclosure and peer support,are crucial for improving sustained VLS and increasing infant HIV testing uptake to reduce MTCT.
文摘BACKGROUND Sustained viral load(VL)suppression is an important indicator of successful treatment among people living with human immunodeficiency virus(HIV).AIM To assess trends of different VL outcomes before and after adoption of the Treat All policy among people living with HIV in Rwanda.METHODS Between 2014 and 2017,VL suppression[VL suppression(VLS)<200 copies/mL]was measured among people living with HIV from 28 healthcare facilities in Rwanda.Participant VL was measured at 6 months,18 months,and 30 months.The unit of analysis was visit-pair,with subjects across four visit-pair categories:(1)Sustained VL suppression(VL<200 copies/mL at two consecutive visits);(2)Persistent viremia(VL≥200 copies/mL at two consecutive visits);(3)Viral rebound(VL<200 copies/mL at prior visit only);and(4)Newly suppressed(VL<200 copies/mL at subsequent visit only).Poisson regression models with generalized estimating equations were used to estimate adjusted incidence risk ratio(aIRR)and 95%confidence intervals(CIs)for factors associated with sustained VLS.To handle missing data,multiple imputations was performed.RESULTS A total of 634 participants contributed 973 visit-pairs(295 single pairs and 339 double pairs).The median age was 37 years(interquartile range:32-43 years).The incidence rates of sustained VLS,persistent viremia,viral rebound,and new suppression were 85.2%,4.3%,4.6%,and 5.7%,respectively.Young individuals aged 18-24 years had higher incidence of viral rebound compared to those 25 years or older(14.8%vs 4.3%;P=0.011).Of the visit-pairs that had sustained VLS during the first two visits(49.8%;n=485),56.7%exhibited sustained VLS throughout follow-up.Compared to having no education,having at least primary education was associated with an increased likelihood of sustained VLS(aIRR=1.09;95%CI:1.01-1.17).Those who presented with advanced HIV disease at baseline had a 12%reduced likelihood of sustained VLS(aIRR=0.88;95%CI:0.79-0.99).Achieving sustained VLS did not differ before or after adoption of the Treat All policy.When the analysis was repeated on imputed datasets,similar results were found.CONCLUSION Although most people living with HIV have sustained VLS in Rwanda,individuals without formal education,those presenting with advanced HIV,and younger individuals were lagging on multiple outcomes.Interventions tailored to these individuals would improve treatment outcomes to achieve epidemic control.
文摘Climate change and global warming are widely recognized as the most significant environmental dilemma the world is experiencing today. Recent studies have shown that the Earth’s surface air temperature has increased by 0.6°C - 0.8°C during the 20th century, along with changes in the hydrological cycle. This has alerted the international community and brought great interest to climate scientists leading to several studies on climate trend detection at various scales. This paper examines the long-term modification of the near surface air temperature in Rwanda. Time series of near surface air temperature data for the period ranging from 1958 to 2010 for five weather observatories were collected from the Rwanda National Meteorological Service. Variations and trends of annual mean temperature time series were examined. The cumulative sum charts (CUSUM) and bootstrapping and the sequential version of the Mann Kendall Rank Statistic were used for the detection of abrupt changes. Regression analysis was performed for the trends and the Mann-Kendall Rank Statistic Test was used for the examination of their significance. Statistically significant abrupt changes and trends have been detected. The major change point in the annual mean temperature occurred around 1977-1979. The analysis of the annual mean temperature showed for all observatories a not very significant cooling trend during the period ranging from 1958 to 1977-1979 while a significant warming trend was furthermore observed for the period after the 1977-1979 where Kigali, the Capital of Rwanda, presented the highest values of the slope (0.0455/year) with high value of coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.6798), the Kendall’s tau statistic (M-K = 0.62), the Kendall Score (S = 328) with a two-sided p-value far less than the confidence level α of 5%). This is most likely explained by the growing population and increasing urbanization and industrialization the country has experienced, especially the Capital City Kigali, during the last decades.
文摘Complex processes of sediment transport in a river impact on overall aquatic system and result in the productivity decrease of socio-economic development projects taking the river as a source of water. The present study was designed to estimate Sebeya river sediment load and assess its impacts on Lake Kivu, Gihira water treatment plant and various hydropower plants constructed in Sebeya catchment located in Western Province of Rwanda. Water samples were hand-collected from five different sampling points along Sebeya river during rainy and dry seasons. Laboratory analysis for turbidity, total suspended solids, sieve analysis for bed load materials and NPK content of water samples were conducted. The results revealed that the average turbidity was found to be high during rainy season compared to dry season. The same trend was found in total suspended solids concentrations. At all 5 sampling sites and during rainy season compared to dry season, the average mass flowrates of bed load materials were 7.84 and 2.96 kg/hr respectively. Sieve analysis results showed that all bed load sediments were mainly composed of high proportions of fine sand of more than 70% which adversely causes damages on hydropower turbines and the effect of high soil erosion rates on Gihira water treatment plant was traduced by high turbidity of raw water and excessive costs of reagents. At Sebeya outlet, nutrients load and high turbidity reduce significantly the aesthetic quality of Lake Kivu, having a harmful impact on recreation and tourism, aquatic life and affect the livelihoods of people living in the vicinity. Researchers recommend two options of reducing the amount of sediment load in Sebeya river: either to prevent soil erosion or to trap eroded sediment at the upstream of the hydropower and the water treatment plants. Assessing the sediment load fluctuations in Sebeya river is useful for water managers and planners to adjust operations accordingly at water treatment and hydropower plants.
基金financial support from the Chinese Scholarship Council and Student Financing Agency for Rwanda, as part of the MSc programme(2009-2011) in the School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, People’s Republic of China
文摘Trees play a key role in neighborhood landscapes, a belief that has been widely held for millennia in areas beyond Sub-Saharan Africa. Unfortunately, awareness of modern landscape architecture was almost absent in Rwanda until the late 20th century. Today, houses with sur- rounding decorative and amenity plants ate a common feature in Rwanda＇s neighborhood landscapes and, as the villagization of settle- ments progresses, new kinds of landscapes are emerging. This paper explores neighborhood tree planting around human settlements in the country. Remote sensing, photogrammetry, photo interpretation, and plant surveys were the core methods used. The average tree cover frac- tion ranged between 10%-35%. As the result of what is hereafter referred to as the ＂luxury effect,＂ a discrete gradient was detected along which the diversity of ornamental and amenity trees increases with the socio-economic status of neighborhoods： from rural settlements to urban residences via a series of intermediate designs, in which different levels of human-built vegetated areas alternate with non-landscaped spaces. Showy, non-productive amenity trees tend to occur more in wealthy quarters of the inner core of cities while edible ornamentals and other productive neighborhood trees prevail in rural and spontaneous settle- ments. In general, the practice of landscape plant design, in spite of its constant improvement, is still striving to get established as a profession in the country.
文摘Nowadays, rainwater harvesting (RWH) technology is increasingly adopted as a strategic pathway for reducing poverty in rural drought prone areas for enhancing agricultural productivity and boosting farm income. The aim of this study is to assess the level of adoption and the impacts of RWH ponds on farm income in Ntarama sector of Bugesera District in Eastern Province of Rwanda. Fifteen farm ponds were visited and the level at which households adopted RWH ponds, their impact on farm income and performance in storing water were assessed. Interviews and questionnaires methods were used to farm ponds beneficiaries and the storage capacity of farm ponds was calculated to ensure that they meet irrigation water demand. Then, Microsoft excel was used as a data analysis tool. The results show that 42.5% of households have adopted RWH ponds and the adoption level of RWH ponds fails due to the lack of training about the role and use of RWH ponds before their implementation. Beside this the low level of public involvement during the site selection for ponds associated with social conflicts among water users was observed. However, it is further revealed that the use of RWH ponds positively impacts on agricultural income on 1/4 hectare per year by about 2,325,000 RWF (3100USD). The studied portion of area can bear 222 ponds of 120 m<sup>3</sup> each if all the rain is harvested throughout the year instead of being three ponds. Furthermore, we found that the quantity of rainwater harvested of 328.5 m<sup>3</sup> as a total of the 3 ponds was still too less to meet irrigation water demand. As negative impacts, the RWH technology can cause dangerous effects such as social conflicts, breeding site for mosquitoes, water related diseases, accidents and others with a level of severity of 32%, 24%, 20%, 16% and 8%, respectively. This happens when the RWH ponds are not properly managed.
文摘Global atmospheric and oceanic perturbations and local weather variability induced factors highly alter the rainfall pattern of a region. Such factors result in extreme events of devastating nature to mankind. Rainfall Intensity Duration Frequency (IDF) is one of the most commonly used tools in water resources engineering particularly to identify design storm event of various magnitude, duration and return period simultaneously. In light of this, the present study is aimed at developing rainfall IDF relationship for entire Rwanda based on selected twenty six (26) rainfall gauging stations. The gauging stations have been selected based on reliable rainfall records representing the different geographical locations varying from 14 to 83 years of record length. Daily annual maximum rainfall data has been disaggregated into sub-daily values such as 0.5 hr, 1 hr, 3 hr, 6 hr and 12 hr and fitted to the probability distributions. Quantile estimation has been made for different return periods and best fit distribution is identified based on least square standard error of estimate. At-site and regional IDF parameters were computed and subsequent curves were established for different return period. The moment ratio diagram (MRD) and L-moment ratio diagram (LMRD) methods have been used to fit frequency distributions and identify homogeneous regions for observed 24-hr maximum annual rainfall. The rainfall stations have been divided into five homogeneous rainfall regions for all 26 stations. The results of present analysis can be used as useful information for future water resources development planning purposes.
文摘Background: Scant data on upper gastrointestinal cancers in Rwanda exist to guide potential prevention efforts. We evaluated the epidemiological, clinical and histopathological data among patients with gastric and esophageal tumors at a tertiary Referral Hospital in Rwanda. Methodology: We performed a retrospective review of histologically-confirmed esophageal and gastric cancers in adults age ≥ 18 yrs. old presenting to a university teaching hospital (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Butare) from 2014-2019. Variables included age at diagnosis, sex, clinical presentation, tumor location and histopathological type. Results: There were 149 upper gastrointestinal cancers, of which 137 (92%) were gastric and 12 (8%) were esophageal. Gastric cancer patients had a mean age at presentation of 56.9 ± 12.3 years (range 21 - 87). Presenting symptoms were epigastric pain (78.8%), weight loss (53.3%), post-prandial vomiting (52.6%), early satiety (29.9%), epigastric mass (24.8%), hematemesis (19.7%) and melena (16.8%). The location was antrum 50.3%, corpus 21.8%, fundus 8%, and cardia 8%. Tumor type was adenocarcinoma in 94.1%. Helicobacter pylori infection was present in 108 (78.8%). Esophageal cancer patients had a mean age of 54.4 ± 9.5 years (range 35 - 72). Presenting symptoms were dysphagia (100%) and weight loss (83%). The most common site was lower third esophagus (9/12), and adenocarcinoma cancer subtype accounted for 5/12 (41.6%) cases. Conclusion: Gastric adenocarcinoma was the most commonly diagnosed upper gastrointestinal cancers and was associated with a high prevalence of H. pylori infection. This study lays the foundation for future work to improve cancer outcomes in Rwanda.
文摘The impact of topography on heavy rainfall during two rain seasons was investigated in order to explain their mechanisms on rainfall distribution over Rwanda. Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model was used to study two historical cases of heavy rainfall which took place over Rwanda during two rain seasons, March to May (MAM) and September to December (SOND), from April 7 to 9, 2012 (for MAM) and from October 29 to 31, 2012 (during SOND). The control experiment was done with actual topography, whereas sensitivity experiment was carried out with topography reduced by half. Results show that rainfall distribution over Rwanda significantly changes when topography is reduced. The reduction in topography leads to a decrease in rainfall amounts in both MAM and SOND seasons, with varying magnitudes. This reveals the importance of orography in determining rainfall amounts and distribution over the region. The accumulated rainfall amount from WRF underestimate or overestimate rain gauge stations data by region and by season, but there is good agreement especially in altitude below 1490 m and above 1554 m during April and October respectively. The results may motivate modelling carters to further improve parameterization schemes in the mountainous regions.
文摘Comprehensive studies on how vegetative ecosystems respond to fluctuations in precipitation and temperature patterns are of great necessity for environmental risk assessment and land-use evaluations. The present study examined the annual trends in vegetation greenness in Rwanda from 2000-2015 and assessed the relationship between these dynamics and climate factors by means of MODIS NDVI, air temperature, SOI and precipitation datasets. Mann Kendal trend test has been utilized to determine the direction and the rates of changes, while Spearman’s rank correlation method has been used to determine the levels of associability between NDVI changes and climatic variables. The results indicate that approximately 11.9% of the country’s vegetation has significantly improved (р < 0.05) from slight to significant improvement while 10.4% of the vegetative cover degraded from slight to severe degradation and an estimated 77.6% of the country’s vegetation cover has remained relatively stable. Much of improvement has been detected in the lowlands of eastern province whereas much of degradation has been highlighted in the western highlands of the Congo Nile ridge and Kigali city. There was a weak correlation between NDVI anomalies and SOI anomalies (rs = 0.36) while near surface air temperature was moderately correlated (rs = 0.47) with changes in Mean NDVI. Precipitation was more significantly associated (r = 0.84) with changes in vegetation health in low plains of Eastern Province (Nyagatare District in particular) than in the high altitude regions of the Congo Nile ridge. A strong positive correlation with precipitation was found in rain fed croplands;mosaic vegetation;mosaic forest or shrubland, herbaceous vegetation/grass-land savannah and sparse vegetation. Identification of degradation hotspots could significantly help the government and local authorities galvanize efforts and foster results driven policies of environmental protection and regeneration countrywide.
文摘This study explores the impact of digital literacy on adopting e-government services in Rwanda, focusing on the Irembo platform. The study addresses key gaps in the literature related to the digital divide and applies the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory. Using data from 2022 and 2023, This study employs k-means and hierarchical clustering to analyze application attributes processed through Irembo, including types, states, and prices. The findings reveal that, despite advancements in digital service delivery, disparities in access and digital literacy persist, particularly in rural areas. The study concludes with recommendations for enhancing digital literacy initiatives and improving e-government platform usability, which is essential for promoting inclusive access to public services and supporting Rwanda’s socio-economic development goals.
文摘Keya Hydropower Plant (HPP) is a run-off-river plant which can be an effective green solution contributing to the current energy demand in Rwanda but a huge amount of sediment contained in water of Sebeya River on which this plant is built results in loss of the plant capacity. The aim of this study was to conduct the performance evaluation of Keya HPP sediment basin located in Rubavu district, western province of Rwanda. Specifically, laboratory tests of sediment, efficiency of the basin, assessment of sedimentation problems on HPP operations, proposition of technical options for increasing the removal efficiency of sediment basin and other options for reducing sediment at the source of generation were performed using different methods including interviews and questioning Keya hydropower technicians, field sediment sampling followed by hydrometer and Particle Size Distribution (PSD) analysis. Analysis was made in University of Rwanda (UR) Soil Mechanics laboratory. MICROSOFT EXCEL and Graphisoft Archicad 18 softwares with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) soil classification were used as data analysis tools. Results showed that the overall efficiency removal of the diversion headwork was 85%. However, after comparing sediment concentration at the inlet and outlet of the sediment basin, it was found that the basin removed only 22% of sediment from diverted water toward the turbine. This means that 78% of sediment escapes the basin to cause erosion on the turbine components resulting in reduction of the plant capacity from 2.2 MW to 900 KW. To ensure sustainable solution to sediment issues in Keya HPP, an upstream sediment trap reservoir is proposed. It is recommended also that Rwanda Energy Group (REG) should work together with Rwanda Natural Resource Authority (RNRA) at national level to ensure sustainable development of erosion control in the Sebeya catchment area.
文摘Standalone Solar PV systems have been vital in the improvement of access to energy in many countries.However,given the large cost of solar PV plants’components,in developing countries,there is a dear need for such components to be subsidised and incentivised for the consumers to afford the produced energy.Moreover,there is a need for optimal sizing of the solar PV plants taking into account the solar information,energy requirement for various activities,and economic conditions in the off-grid regions in Rwanda.This study aims to develop optimally sized solar PV plants suited to rural communities in Rwanda.Likewise,it aims at characterizing the impacts of subsidies and incentives on the profitability and affordability of solar PV plants’energy in Rwanda.In the study,we have developed a model on basis of which the plant power(peak power)and costs of energy can be predicted given the load requirements using PVSyst.The model was validated using data corrected at eight different sites.Our generalized predictive model’s results matched the results obtained using field measurement data as inputs.The models have been able to replicate with a by degree of accuracy the peak powers and the plants’costs for different loads and were used to evaluate the economic viability of solar PV plants in Rwanda.It was found that with incentives and subsidies of 20%,the solar PV systems’costs,the Levelised Cost of Energy would drop from a maximum of 0.098 Euro to a minimum of 0.072 Euro,the payback period was reduced from a maximum of 7.5 years to a minimum of 6.0 years while the return on investments was seen to vary between 425.72 and 615.32 per cent over the plants’lifetime of 25 years.Overall our findings underscore the importance of government subsidies and incentives for solar PV energy generation projects to be significantly profitable.
文摘Background: Of the cancers diagnosed in Rwanda, stomach cancer is one of the most encountered. In fact, Rwanda belongs to the region where it is most incident in Africa. Most of the patients present with advanced disease. Studies showed that some gastric cancers overexpress Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2/neu) protein and can be treated with Herceptin/Tras-tuzumab. This targeted therapy improves survival in patients with advanced disease. We conducted a study on Immunohistochemical profile of HER2/neu in gastric adenocarcinomas at two main Rwandan tertiary centers. Methodology: We tested for HER2/NEU in gastric adenocarcinomas diagnosed at University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK) and University Teaching Hospital of Butare (CHUB). Demographic and pathologic parameters were collected. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for HER2/neu using c-erb/HER-2/neu (clone SP3) Rabbit Monoclonal antibody was done. Using the guidelines established by Hoffman et al., the agreed score between 2 Rwandan pathologists and 1 USA pathologist was considered each time. Data were entered and statistically analyzed using SPSS 22. Descriptive statistical analysis method was used. P-value calculated with Chi-square analysis for positive vs negative and equivocal negative to correlate HER2/neu overexpression with other variables across both hospitals. Results: A total of 286 cases were tested. HER2/neu overexpression (score 3+ or positive) was found in 29 cases (10.1%). 8 cases (2.8%) were equivocal negative (score 2+) while 249 cases (87.1%) were negative (score 0 and 1+). Conclusion: HER2/neu is overexpressed in a subset of gastric cancers in Rwanda, a phenomenon that has been reported in other areas of the world. Testing for HER2/neu could identify patients who would get a targeted treatment with Herceptin.
文摘Before the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi,reported rates of mental health disorders in Rwanda were low;Rwandan society and traditional healers had their own strategies to diagnose and address different mental health issues.Following the genocide against Tutsi in 1994,reports of psychological and mental health issues―including post traumatic stress disorders(PTSD),substance abuse and depression―increased significantly.To tackle these challenges,mental health specialists were trained―mainly in English and French―with key mental health concepts and disorders defined and elaborated in these languages.Consequently,specialists adopted Western ways of defining mental disorders and primarily referenced DSM-IV and V criteria for diagnosis.For example,most research names mental health problems that people experience as related to genocide and other events as“trauma”and“associated co morbidities”.From the research conducted by the Rwandan Biomedical Centre(RBC)on situational analysis for development of a model for management of trauma cases during the commemoration period of the genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda through Ubuzima Burambye project named problems that people suffered from as trauma,some concepts(such as“Ihungabana”,“Ihahamuka”,and“Ibikomere”)have been used to name trauma.But mental health professionals still prefer to name them as emotional,traumatic,collective,and/or collective traumatic crises.However,this use of primarily Western terms is a challenge for many Rwandan psychologists,as counselling sessions and other therapeutic interventions are conducted in Kinyarwanda.Such names might simplify concepts,as they are unable to fully translate the nuances within Kinyarwanda.To further study this linguistic issue,this current study investigated how people in Rwanda contextualise,name and give representations to the mental health problems they suffer from.It combined clinical and participatory action 88research,which started in February 2019.Participants were young survivors of genocide,people addicted to drugs from WAWA Rehabilitation Centre,as well as people who were received in the clinic/Uyisenga Ni Imanzi.Responses from the participants were classified according to their life experience on mental health pains.Twenty-nine percent of names of mental health problems from the participants were reflected on darkness,25%of them have named as emptiness,11%of participants have named their problems as heaviness,while rejection,bondage,physical pain each represent 8%,addictiveness or deviance is at 5%whereas dirtiness and judgement each has 3%.Different mental health symptoms―such as guilt,pessimism,anxiety,loneliness,depression and panic attacks―were identified to assess the respondents’mental health.The data collected from this group showed that guilt among respondents takes a higher number of 22%of names for mental health related to pains,compared to the other symptoms.On other side,pessimism is ranked at 19%,anxiety at 18%,loneliness at 17%expressivity at 16%and panic attacks is ranked at 8%.Looking at the effect of mental health pains on different aspect of life,data represented that the most affected aspect of life is the human mind at 52%,social problems and emotions at 18%each,human body at 9%and relations among people are affected at 4%.Human senses(e.g.,touch,taste,smell,hearing,sight)were used to identify and describe mental health pains.Results show that 62%of the identified unique names of the problems were found to belong to what people can feel,followed by sight(37%),touch(15%),hearing(13%),and smell(1%).However,there was no name for mental health pains related to taste.Clearly identifying and describing mental health issues in participants’local language is an essential step towards finding effective solutions.Naming a problem helps practitioners and patients develop a shared understanding of the issue at hand and what can be jointly done to address it.Conversely,the inability to name the actual disorder leaves patients in a state of confusion,unable to progress with their treatment despite the availability of professional assistance.
文摘Legumes are high-protein, medium-energy and micronutrient-rich food consumed in many parts of the world including Africa. This study evaluated the levels of specific phenolic compounds in three legumes. Two varieties of the common bean, (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) soybeans (Glycine max L.), and peas (Pisum sativum L.) from Rwanda were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The phenolic compounds were identified by comparison to the chromatographic retention times and UV spectra of known reference compounds. This study results clearly shows the presence of 11 different phenolic compounds in common beans: gallic acid, (+)-catechin, (–)-epicatechin, caffeic acid, o-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, 4-hydrobenzoic acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid and vanillic acid. The concentration ranged from 0.59 to 2.27 mg/kg for epicatechin. High levels of catechin (13.5 to 57.9 mg/kg) ferulic acid (26.1 to 47.6 mg/kg) were also observed. Therefore, the results of this study show that Rwandan common beans are a good source of phenolic acids in particular catechins and ferulic acid.
文摘The peat deposits in Rwanda are distributed over an area of 50,000 ha and were formed about the end of last glaciations period. However Akanyaru peat is 20,000 years old and contains peat of glacial and postglacial period. The studies show that Rwanda has 155 million tons of dry peat which can generate electrical energy and this deposit is sufficient to meet country’s vast energy requirements for 30 years. Hence, it was felt necessary to map prospective locations of peat and their energy potential. The result of the study and assessment of peat to power in Rwanda show that the average <em>in-situ</em> ash content, <em>in-situ</em> moisture content and<em> in-situ</em> bulk density of the collected peat samples are 36 wt%, 70.8 wt% and 1112 kg/m<sup>3</sup> respectively. Their average thickness ranges from 0.9 to 7.8 m. In Finland, peat was used as fuel in 1996 and produced 10% of total installed capacity. Rwanda has the same operational peat power plant in Gishoma: Rusizi District generating 15 MW connected to the national electrical grid. A peat-fuelled power plant is under construction and is expected to generate 80 MW. This plant, once completed, is expected to connect 50% more households into national grid. Thus, this effort along with other projects will increase electrical power from 208 MW to 563 MW in 2024. Peat deposit is expected to generate 500 Megawatt electrical powers for 30 years. Although an effort was done to use peat as fuel, the power plant is still vulnerable to the lack of good quality of dry peat to operate and thus efforts are on to develop suitable technology for exploitation.
文摘Irrigation is an agricultural practice adopted in Rwanda to fight against poverty by increasing agricultural production as a big sector which occupies a central place in the economy of the country. Once irrigation project is made without taking into account the environmental impacts that may occur, it may fail before the design period or may persist with the excessive generated negative impacts exceeding the targeted objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate environmental impacts of an already implemented irrigation project in Kanyonyomba swamp located in Gatsibo District of Eastern Province of Rwanda in order to quantify the benefits and to increase agricultural production by mitigating negative impacts generated by this project. The Kanyonyomba earth dam has been constructed on Kanyonyomba River in Gatsibo District with a length, a spillway crest width and a reservoir height of 210 m, 4 m and 8.5 m respectively. The site observations on land, the interviews analysis and water and soil laboratory tests were conducted to assess various environmental impacts. The analysis of the results reveals the presence of positive impacts including increased agricultural space and agricultural production through the introduction of rice cultivation in this medium. However, this project has led to multiple adverse effects in the hosting environment impacts that need to be mitigated including the increased incidence of diseases in the surrounding population and accidents resulting from an increased exposure of people to the dam reservoir. Moderation of soil acidity, the use of the dam reservoir as a water supply source, the provision of boots and gloves to protect farmers from being contaminated by water living microorganisms and the development of impacts monitoring plan are among the proposed measures in order to mitigate these environmental impacts.
基金jointly supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China[grant number 2019YFC1510004]and the LASG Open Project.
文摘Rwanda is a landlocked country in central-eastern Africa.As a country highly dependent on rain-fed agriculture,Rwanda is vulnerable to rainfall variability.Observational data show that there are two rainy seasons in Rwanda,i.e.,the long rainy season and the short rainy season.This study mainly focuses on the dominant intraseasonal rainfall mode during the long rainy season(February-May),and evaluates the forecast skill for the intraseasonal variability(ISV)over Rwanda and its surrounding regions in a state-of-the-art dynamic model.During the long rainy season,observational results reveal that the dominant intraseasonal rainfall mode in Rwanda exhibits a significant variability on the 10-25-day time scale.One-point-correlation analysis further unveils that the 10-25-day intraseasonal rainfall variability in Rwanda co-varies with that in its adjacent areas,indicating that the overall 10-25-day rainfall variability in Rwanda and its adjacent regions(8°S-3°N,29°-37°E)should be considered collectively when studying the dominant intraseasonal rainfall variability in Rwanda.Composite results show that the development of the 10-25-day rainfall variability is associated with the anomalous westerly wind in Rwanda and its surrounding regions,which may trace back to a pair of westward-propagating equatorial Rossby waves.Based on the observational findings,an ISO_rainfall_index and an ISO_wind_index are proposed for quantitatively evaluating the forecast skill.The ECMWF model has a comparable skill in predicting the wind index and the rainfall index,with both indices showing a skill of 18 days.
