Studying the Logone floodplain,Cameroon, as a coupled human and natural system§

African floodplains are an excellent example of coupled human–natural systems because they exhibit strong interactions among multiple social, ecological, and hydrological systems. The intra-annual and interannual variations in seasonal flooding have direct and indirect impacts on ecosystems and human lives and livelihoods. Coupled human and natural system (CHANS) is a broad conceptual framework that is used to study systems in which human and natural components interact. While there are other conceptual frameworks to study social-ecological systems, the CHANS framework offers a clear way of studying the interactions, called couplings, between human and natural systems. Core features of the framework are the following: human and natural systems are analytically separated; focus is on processes within and couplings between systems; and the goal is to build an integrative, quantitative model of the coupled system. This paper explains the conceptual framework of coupled systems, using the case study of the Logone floodplain in Cameroon. We compare the CHANS framework with other frameworks that have been used to study the same floodplain, and argue for its usefulness in the study of African floodplains.     

Health-related quality of life and associated factors among Onchocerciasis patients in southeast Nigeria: A cross-sectional comparative study

IntroductionOnchocerciasis, a neglected tropical disease of public health importance, causes chronic morbidity and severe disability that may impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the infected people. This study assessed the HRQoL and associated factors among onchocerciasis patients in southeast Nigeria.MethodsThis was a community-based cross-sectional comparative study. Using a multistage sampling technique, 340 onchocerciasis patients were selected and matched for age and gender with the healthy population in the same neighbourhood. The respondents were interviewed using the short-form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire to determine their HRQoL. WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 tool (WHODAS 2.0) was used to assess disability in persons with onchocerciasis. Means were compared with independent student t-test while Chi-square test was used to compare proportions. Also, correlation analysis and logistic regression were used in the analyses.ResultsA significantly lower proportion of people living with onchocerciasis had a good quality of life when compared with the healthy subjects (69.4% vs 93.5%, p<0.001). Also, an inverse relationship was seen between disability and quality of life in the onchocerciasis group (r = -0.647, p<0.001). Predictors of poor quality of life among respondents with onchocerciasis were: respondents aged ≥48 years (AOR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.4–5.0), those with some disability associated with onchocerciasis (AOR = 3.33, 95%CI: 1.4–5.0) and respondents who perceived themselves as a burden to people (AOR = 10, 95%CI: 2.5–20).ConclusionOnchocerciasis impacted negatively on HRQoL of persons with onchocerciasis when compared with the healthy population. The quality of life of persons affected with onchocerciasis reduces with increasing disability. There is the need to increase community awareness on onchocerciasis to ensure early diagnosis and prompt treatment as this will reduce disability among those affected with the disease thus enhancing their HRQoL.