The draft genome sequence of Xanthomonas species strain Nyagatare, isolated from diseased bean in Rwanda.

types: Journal ArticleThis is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in FEMS following peer review. The version of record Aritua, V., Musoni, A., Kabeja, A., Butare, L., Mukamuhirwa, F., Gahakwa, D., . . . Smith, J. (2015). The draft genome sequence of Xanthomonas species strain Nyagatare, isolated from diseased bean in Rwanda, FEMS Microbiology Letters, 2015, Vol. 362, No. 4 pp. 1-4 is available online at: http://femsle.oxfordjournals.org/content/362/4/1.1.exploreWe announce the genome sequence for Xanthomonas species strain Nyagatare, isolated from beans showing unusual disease symptoms in Rwanda. This strain represents the first sequenced genome belonging to an as-yet undescribed Xanthomonas species known as species-level clade 1. It has at least 100 kb of genomic sequence that shows little or no sequence similarity to other xanthomonads, including a unique lipopolysaccharide synthesis gene cluster. At least one genomic region appears to have been acquired from relatives of Agrobacterium or Rhizobium species. The genome encodes homologues of only three known type-three secretion system effectors: AvrBs2, XopF1 and AvrXv4. Availability of the genome sequence will facilitate development of molecular tools for detection and diagnostics for this newly discovered pathogen of beans and facilitate epidemiological investigations of a potential causal link between this pathogen and the disease outbreak.Canadian International Development AgencyBBSRC SCPRI

Rwanda Nutrition, Markets and Gender Analysis 2015: An integrated approach towards alleviating malnutrition among vulnerable populations in Rwanda

The Nutrition, Markets and Gender (NMG) Survey was conducted in Rwanda to investigate the causes of malnutrition in children under 24 months. The NMG Survey was informed by the 2010 Demographic Health Survey (DHS) for Rwanda that gave some insight into the knowledge and trend of malnutrition in the country for the period 2005 to 2010. The DHS results indicated a 6 percent decline in stunting among children under the age of five years. The key findings from the 2014/2015 DHS that followed the same delineation as the DHS 2010 provided the most current status of malnutrition in Rwanda and showed further overall improvements in child growth outcomes with 37.9 percent of children under five years classified as stunted. These results again indicated a 6.3 percent decline in stunting among children under the age of five years for the period 2010 to 2015. This progressive trend is a testament to the country’s commitments to prioritise nutrition issues and nutrition programmes in its development agenda. The Government of Rwanda, through the Ministry of Health, has prioritised malaria control, nutrition education, and better public healthcare. However, in spite of the advancements made, the consensus is that high rates of chronic malnutrition among children still prevail. Thus a better understanding of risk factors that contribute to child malnutrition at the household level in Rwanda was needed to strengthen the fight against malnutrition in the country. The ‘Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability and Nutrition Analysis’ – CFSVA 2012 – report produced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) and the World Food Programme (WFP) acknowledged that vulnerable households are increasingly reliant on markets as a source of food; providing on average 65 percent of the food consumed by a household. It is therefore clear that household nutrition outcomes in such households are dependent on markets. In addition, it is widely accepted that gender dynamics influence decision-making in the household. Thus gender dynamics affect decisions related to food, care, markets, and health. Therefore this survey focused on nutrition, markets, and gender to determine the factors that influence the nutrition status of children under 24 months. Moreover, a disconnect between agricultural production and nutrition outcomes was revealed in the CFSVA 2012 report that indicated that the northern agricultural zones, considered the bread basket of the country, had stunting rates of up to 66 percent in children under 60 months

Towards commercial agriculture in Rwanda: Understanding the determinants of market participation among smallholder bean farmers

Agricultural transformation is key to poverty reduction and food security in sub -Saharan Africa (SSA). In Rwanda, this transformation has focused on shifting subsistence – based production to market - oriented farming. Over the last one decade and a half, major emphasis has been placed on the intensification of production systems, promotion of farmers’ cooperatives, and enhancement of farmers’ access to markets. Although the country recorded an increase in food crop commercialization, subsistence farming is still prevalent amongst smallholder farmers. Yet, in the few studies conducted on agricultural transformation, smallholder commercialization has received scanty attention. As the country aims to achieve commercialized agriculture, there is a need to understand what factors can influence farmers’ decisions to participate in the output markets. This study analyses the levels of market participation and drivers of output commercialization, using a sample of 256 Common bean farmers from northern Rwanda. A double -hurdle model was used to analyses the data. Results indicated that 30% of the farmers participated in the market with an average commercialization index of 0.42. Land size, agricultural training and group membership of household head had a positive effect on households’ participation to bean market. The distance to the nearest access road that can be used throughout the year reduces the probability of commercialization at household level. The degree of market participation was positively influenced by price, education level of the household head and livestock income. On the other hand, distance to key markets had a negative effect on the degree of households’ commercialization. The findings of this paper show that participation in bean markets is still low, with disparities in the commercialized quantities amongst those who participate. Female -headed households were more likely to participate in bean markets, selling higher volumes than male - headed households. This gender difference suggests that bean production can be an important source of income for women smallholder farmers. The study recommends more efforts in improving road networks connecting to key markets, facilitating cross - border trade and increasing agricultural training amongst the farmers. Addition ally, the use of improved inputs in bean production as well as income diversification through livestock rearing should be encouraged. All the interventions should be gender - sensitive so as not to deny women their source of livelihood through bean production and marketing

Student, teacher, and caregiver perceptions on implementing mental health interventions in Ugandan schools

Background The vast majority of children and adolescents in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) lack access to interventions for mental health problems. Schools provide a critical platform for evidence-based intervention delivery for young people. However, a significant need exists to understand the implementation context and strategies for delivering school mental health interventions in LMICs. Methods We conducted a focused ethnography to explore students’, teachers’, and caregivers’ perspectives on implementing evidence-based mental health interventions (EBIs) within a widespread violence prevention program in Uganda. Data collection occurred in Kampala, Uganda, using two schools that have previously implemented an evidence-based violence prevention program widely used in Ugandan schools schools, the Good School Toolkit (GST). Trained, local researchers facilitated four focus group discussions (FGDs) with caregivers ( n = 22), four FGDs with teachers ( n = 25), and in-depth interviews with primary school students ( n = 12). Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using a framework analysis approach. Results Participants revealed a school culture that promotes schools’ responsibility to students beyond academics, including positive teacher–student relationships. Participants recommended an implementation process that trains teachers and students in screening and referral, peer group delivery, and is accompanied by a school-wide approach to stigma reduction and mental health literacy. Participants fundamentally agreed that teachers could be trained as intervention facilitators. Conclusions This study highlights the potential advantage of leveraging an existing intervention that already addresses implementation factors, such as school culture, as a fertile platform for implementing interventions for child and adolescent mental health in LMICs. Plain language abstract Despite the growth of implementation research for child and adolescent mental health, the study of implementation science for child and adolescent mental health in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains scarce. Schools provide a critical platform for evidence-based intervention delivery for young people. However, a significant need exists to understand the implementation context and strategies for delivering school mental health interventions in LMICs. This study provides rich qualitative data describing the context and influences for the successful implementation of mental health interventions in LMIC schools. We conducted interviews and focus groups with teachers, students, and caregivers to determine their perspectives on implementing evidence-based mental health interventions (EBIs) within a widespread violence prevention program in Uganda. Participants revealed a school culture promoted by the existing program that promotes schools’ responsibility to students beyond academics, including positive teacher–student relationships. Findings suggest the existing program provides fertile ground for the successful implementation of evidence-based mental health interventions in schools. </jats:sec