Browsing by Author "Issa-Zacharia, Abdulsudi"

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Antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices among smallholder chicken farmers in Southern Mozambique
(Academic Journals, 2025) Mugabe, Noemia Andre; Kussaga, Jamal; Issa-Zacharia, Abdulsudi
Intensive production systems face challenges in treating individual chickens due to the large number of animals, resulting in the indiscriminate use of antibiotics as the only alternative. The use of antibiotics in poultry production has adverse effects on humans, as prolonged consumption of contaminated meat can lead to the development of antibiotic resistance in intestinal bacteria. A cross-sectional survey involving 395 smallholder farmers was conducted through face-to-face interviews to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding antibiotic use in urban and peri-urban areas of Southern Mozambique. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27. The findings revealed that 60% of respondents were female, 28.6% had received training on antibiotic use, and 73.2% identified poultry production as their primary source of income. Approximately 72.2% were unaware of antimicrobial resistance, while oxytetracycline (22.8%) was the most commonly used antibiotic on farms. In cases of disease, 96.99% of farmers self-administered antibiotics, and 30.9% reported consuming meat from chickens that had died during or after antibiotic treatment. Chi-square and regression analyses (p=0.000) revealed significant associations, indicating that training positively influenced knowledge regarding the appropriate use of antibiotics. Education level also influenced antibiotic use (p=0.000); farmers with higher education levels were more likely to believe that medicinal plants could serve as alternatives to antibiotics. This study revealed that antibiotic use contributes to the contamination of broiler chickens with antibiotic residues and promotes antimicrobial resistance, primarily due to inadequate knowledge, attitudes, and practices resulting from insufficient training in antibiotic application. To reduce, prevent, and eliminate the indiscriminate use of antibiotics and the spread of antimicrobial resistance, it is essential for the government to educate, train, and monitor veterinary professionals, smallholder farmers, and resellers on the proper use of antibiotics in poultry production.
Assessment of bio-security knowledge, attitude and hygienic practices among smallholder chicken farmers in Southern Mozambique
(Academic Journal, 2025) Mugabe, Noémia André; Kussaga, Jamal; Issa-Zacharia, Abdulsudi
The production of broiler chickens in intensive systems struggles to maintain hygiene in production, despite contributing to combating malnutrition, generating employment, and increasing family income, especially in developing countries. Using a structured questionnaire survey, a cross-sectional study was carried out among 395 smallholder farmers to evaluate their knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to farm biosecurity in urban and peri-urban areas of Mozambique and determine the factors affecting KAP (knowledge, attitude, and practice) levels. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) (IBM version 27). The findings indicate that education level and training significantly influence (p < 0.001) food safety in terms of biosecurity knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Smallholders who attended food safety training exhibited positive attitudes (95.5%, mean score of 89.71 ± 10.1) in contrast to those who did not participate in training (74.8%, mean score of 79.91 ± 9.68). Additionally, washing hands with soap before and after using the toilet and wearing protective clothing during chicken husbandry were significantly associated with education level (χ² = 15.345, P = 0.018); those with informal education were 34% less likely to have a negative attitude toward food safety compared to those with high education. A significant correlation (p < 0.01) was observed between residence area, training, and biosecurity knowledge, attitude, and practice. Because smallholders lack training, hygiene expertise, and biosecurity practices on their farms, this study concluded that they pose a risk to public health and food safety. To maintain consumer health and guarantee food safety, farmers should properly dispose of waste, including dead chickens, and receive continuous training in excellent biosecurity measures on the farm.
Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practices of maize farmers following post-intervention programs to mitigate aflatoxin contamination in Chamwino, Dodoma, Tanzania
(Urmia University, 2025) Msangi, Riziki Salehe; Issa-Zacharia, Abdulsudi; Chove, Lucy Mlipano
Aflatoxin contamination poses a significant threat to agricultural systems and public health, particularly in regions such as Dodoma, where favorable climatic conditions promote the growth of aflatoxin-producing fungi. Various interventions were initiated to address the problem of aflatoxin contamination among maize farmers in Dodoma. This study aimed to assess maize farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) following intervention programs designed to mitigate aflatoxin contamination in Chamwino district, Dodoma. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in five wards of Chamwino District: Chilonwa, Msanga, Chamwino, Majeleko, and Buigiri. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 300 maize farmers to assess their KAP related to aflatoxin contamination. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, with significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Among 300 farmers surveyed, 221 (73.7%) demonstrated awareness of aflatoxin-related interventions, whereas 79 (26.3%) did not exhibit such awareness. Of the 221 informed farmers, 123 (55.7%) demonstrated good knowledge, 51 (23.1%) exhibited medium knowledge, and 47 (21.3%) displayed poor knowledge regarding aflatoxin contamination and its mitigation. Of the participants, 186 (84.2%) exhibited positive attitudes, 34 (15.4%) displayed medium attitudes, and only 1 (0.5%) demonstrated poor attitudes. Of the participants, 157 (71.0%) exhibited good practices, while 64 (29.0%) were categorized as having medium-level practices. No farmers demonstrated poor practices regarding aflatoxin contamination and mitigation. The interventions effectively enhanced awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding aflatoxin mitigation among maize farmers in Chamwino District. Future interventions should strengthen collaboration between government agencies, Non-Government Organizations, farmer groups, and local communities to sustain and expand these gains.
Community awareness of microbial and heavy metal contamination in fried street foods wrapped in printed papers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
(Science Publishing Group, 2025) Hassan, Ramadhan Abdul; Issa-Zacharia, Abdulsudi; Chaula, Davis Naboth
Due to poor hygiene, handling, and food safety education, street food poses a substantial public health risk. Foods wrapped in ink-printed papers have been related to cancer, neurological, reproductive, and renal and liver harm. Objective of this study was to assess community awareness regarding potential microbiological and heavy metal contamination in ready-to-eat fried foods wrapped in printed paper in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The structured questionnaire was used to assess the awareness of 293 street food vendors in three districts: Kinondoni, Temeke, and Kigamboni. The findings from this study indicated that most (67.8%) of vendors were female, primarily aged 31-40 years (58.0%), and mostly possessing a primary level education (47.7%). Approximately 67.5% of vendors were owners of their businesses, and 36.7% possessed more than four years of experience. Findings revealed printed paper to be the primary wrapping material (44.5%), followed by plastic bags (41.3%). Hygiene practices were was reported to be inadequate in which 88.0% of vendors did not cover their hair while 62.2% wore unclean clothing, and 95.1% failed to wash their hands before handling food. It was further revealed that awareness on heavy metal (71.1%) and microbial contamination (67.5%) was markedly inadequate and that the vendors were unaware of these risks, respectively. Although the finding showed poor awareness, 63.6% of vendors favoured the need for regulations on heavy metal contamination, while 56.5% favoured the reinforcement of regulations on the use of printed papers as wrapping materials for foods. These findings highlight the need to educate vendors about the risks associated with using ink-printed paper and personal hygiene practices to reduce microbial and heavy metal contamination.