East Africa University

The postpartum period is crucial for maternal and newborn health but remains a high-risk phase in low-resource settings like Somalia, where psychosocial support is often lacking. Social support (including practical help), emotional care, and health education are essential for recovery and well-being. Despite Somalia’s high maternal mortality, little research has focused on first-time mothers’ experiences. This study explored their experiences of postpartum support at Banadir Hospital in Mogadishu. An exploratory phenomenological design guided this study. Data was collected through 16 individual interviews, two focus group discussions (12 participants), and 10 key informant interviews with healthcare workers, totaling 38 participants. Purposive sampling ensured the selection of participants with relevant experiences, and data saturation determined the final sample size. Interviews were conducted in Somali, audio-recorded with consent, and transcribed verbatim. Inductive thematic content analysis was performed using NVivo 11. Methodological rigor was maintained through triangulation, member checking, reflexive journaling, peer debriefing, and a comprehensive audit trail. Three major themes emerged that reflected the postpartum social support experiences of first-time mothers. They received initial physical support primarily from family members, including mothers, mothers-in-law, and spouses. However, this assistance was limited and diminished significantly after the first month due to financial constraints and competing responsibilities. Emotional support was insufficient and primarily provided by healthcare workers rather than family, reflecting limited awareness of postpartum mental health needs and signs of depression. Informational support was critically inadequate, with mothers reporting unmet needs for structured guidance on newborn care, infant danger signs, and maternal health; they relied predominantly on informal sources, including family and neighbors, who often provided conflicting or inaccurate information. Overall, although postpartum support mechanisms exist, they are fragmented, inconsistent, and insufficient to meet first-time mothers’ holistic physical, emotional, and informational needs. The study highlights the urgent need for policy action to enhance postpartum care systems. This includes workforce capacity building and structured follow-up in fragile settings like Somalia. Strengthening postpartum social support through trained health workers, family engagement, and peer programs can improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.

This paper explores the feasibility and necessary steps for integrating Somalia's higher education system with the East African Community's (EAC) educational framework following Somalia's full membership in the EAC on March 04, 2024. The East African Community (EAC) strives to maintain consistent higher education standards among its member states, offering a uniform level of education to students across the region. This is achieved by establishing the East African Community Higher Education Area (EACHEA) as a collaborative educational platform for the partner states. The foundation for this integration was laid by the Arusha Convention treaty, passed on December 05, 1981. Subsequent revisions occurred in June 2002 in Cape Town, South Africa, and in June 2003 in Dakar, Senegal. UNESCO, a paramount international organization, has supported these regional agreements to enhance international student and professional mobility. Under the Arusha Convention, quality assurance protocols and certification systems have been implemented, driven by both regional agreements and national policies. Given Somalia's historical and contemporary context, this study addresses critical questions: What steps must Somalia take to align its higher education system with the EAC's? What prerequisites must be met to ensure this alignment? This study also examines three significant global educational advancements that influence common key considerations for integration. These issues must be appropriately aligned so that Somalia can successfully integrate its higher education system with the EAC.

Cyclin D1 (CCND1) plays a crucial role in cell cycle regulation and has been implicated in various cancers. As is well known, cancer is caused by the accumulation of detrimental variations in the genome. In this study, we shed light on the role of CCND1 in the diagnosis and progression of cancer and aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of CCND1 across multiple cancer types, focusing on its expression, clinical correlations, DNA methylation status, prognostic implications, genetic alterations, and immune infiltration. Gene expression analysis of CCND1 was conducted across 33 cancer types using the TIMER, GEPIA, and UALCAN databases. Clinical parameters were investigated to assess their correlations with CCND1 expression. Methylation analysis was performed using the UALCAN and GSCA databases to investigate the relationship between CCND1 promoter methylation and gene expression and their association with survival. Immune infiltration and survival analyses were performed to explore the prognostic implications of CCND1 expression in various cancers. Statistical tests, such as the Cox proportional hazards model and the Kaplan-Meier analysis, were used to assess survival outcomes. Additionally, genetic alteration analysis was performed using the cBioPortal database to examine the prevalence and types of CCND1 alterations across different cancer types. CCND1 expression was significantly elevated in 13 cancers compared to normal tissues, with distinct patterns observed across different cancer types. It is highly expressed in BLCA, CHOL, COAD, ESCA, GBM, HNSC, KIRC, PAAD, RRAD, READ, STAD, THCA, and UCEC. The investigation of clinical parameters revealed associations between CCND1 expression and factors such as age, gender, race, and cancer stage. The methylation analysis highlighted hypomethylation of CCND1 across the 13 selected cancer types. The survival analysis identified both favorable and unfavorable prognostic implications of CCND1 expression in different cancers and revealed that a high expression of CCND1 was associated with a poor prognosis in HNSC and PAAD, while a high expression of CCND1 was associated with a good prognosis in KIRC, STAD, THCA, and UCEC. In the immune infiltration analysis of various cancers, many statistically significant correlations were observed between the immune cell types and tumor purity. For example, in BLCA, neutrophils and dendritic cells showed statistically significant positive correlations and a negative correlation with macrophages. While in CHOL patients, none of the immune cell types showed a significant correlation. Similar statistical significance was observed in other cancer types, such as COAD, HNSC, GBM, KIRC, PAAD, PRAD, READ, and STAD, with different immune cell types. The genetic alteration analysis revealed that amplification was the predominant genetic alteration type in CCND1, with specific patterns observed in different cancer types. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the role of CCND1 in cancer diagnosis and progression, and its potential for targeted therapies. CCND1 could be used as a potential diagnostic biomarker for the COAD, ESCA, KIRC, READ, STAD, and THCA stages. Furthermore, CCND1 could be used as a potential prognostic biomarker for HNSC, KIRC, and PAAD. Also, the correlation between CCND1 methylation and expression could be used as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for ESCA, HNSC, and STAD.

This descriptive cross-sectional study discussed the relationship between job crafting and community engagement in the telecommunications sector of Somalia. A total of 95 respondents were interviewed and data was analyzed by SPSS version 26. Job crafting, work engagement, work environment, HR policies, Regular Training facilities, and years of job experience directly influence the crafting of employees and the level of community engagement in telecommunication organizations. The average working experience of telecommunication staff was 6.35±4.069 years and there was a strong association between employee years of experience and monthly income (x2= 41.25, df = 11, Gamma V= .37, Lamda λ = .41 cOR= 1.58; 95% CI = 1.655–2.56; P = 0.02). There is an association between being treated fairly in this organization and policy practices (χ2 =18.40, DF= 5, p =.05). There is never pressure to finish their work on time and this aligned with the crafting of employees of the organization (χ2 =16.80, DF= 6, p =.02). Majority of organization have no good retirement and insurance plans for current employees (χ2 =16.45, DF= 6, p =.001). It has been found that an association exists between proactively working for community engagement and policy practices for employee training programs (χ2 =19.75, DF= 6, p =.05). The majority of employees struggle with a shortage of quality training on engagement process (χ2 =20.44, DF= 6, p =.02). Respondent seems unhappy about engagement process of the organizations (χ2 =16.50, DF= 6, p =0.05).

Mastitis is one of the main issues that cause economic inefficiencies in dairy farms. It has numerous infectious and non-infectious origins and is divided into clinical and subclinical forms. A cross sectional study of camel mastitis was conducted on 88 lactating camels from Garowe District Puntland between May to August 2023 to estimate the prevalence and causes of mastitis, as well the risk factors involved on disease. Prevalence of mastitis was assessed by using California mastitis test (CMT) and bacterial cultured. The overall prevalence of mastitis at animal level was camels examined for mastitis was found a prevalence of 39.7% (35/88) in the current study. The overall quarter level prevalence was 47.7% (168/352). Among these 10(11.4%) and 25(28.4%) were found to be positive with clinical and sub-clinical mastitis respectively, based on clinical examination and mastitis indicator paper (Table 2). Regarding Result analysis showed that there was a statistically significant association (P<0.05) among four the risk factors (tick infected, wound stage of lactation and poor hygienic). Tick infestation and udder lesions were significantly associated with camel mastitis (P < 0.05). Bacteriological examination of CMT along with bacteriological culture methods were used. The study cultured a positive camel milk samples revealed that Staphylococcus spp was the major causative agents for both clinical and sub clinical camel mastitis (45.7%) followed by Streptococcus agalactiae (25.7%), E. coli (14.3%), Klebsiella spp. (8.6%) and Micrococcus (5.7%) respectively. The study demonstrated that camel mastitis is a problem which warrants appropriate control measures in order to improve the health of camels and quality of camel milk production in the study area. The isolation of genera of pathogenic bacteria from the camel milk samples suggests the need for strict hygienic measures during the production and handling of camel milk to reduce public health hazards. Furthermore, public education should be given to improve their awareness about the importance of proper herd health management and hygienic milking practices. In order to minimize the adverse effect of mastitis on the yield, quality of milk and zoonotic impact of the pathogen. The prevalence of camel mastitis in the study area was found to be significantly high. Therefore, implementation of integrated approaches has great importance in the study sites for the prevention and control of mastitis hence minimizing economic loss and prevents significant public health risks.

Because of the lack of a body which can control higher education or make standards that can be shared, the majority of higher education institutions in the Somali Federal Republic fail to have structured and clearly defined curriculum plans. Moreover, some do not even realise the importance of curriculum for their institutions, let alone having clearly defined objectives or goals for educational institutions to achieve in educating society. A curriculum is a map which guides the institution regarding its educational objectives. It is an assessment of how an educational institution defines those objectives. It is also the methods and means through which an educational institution maps out a way for students to find their way to success as defined by those objectives. An institution that plays the role to create a standardised curriculum in higher education is the national higher education commission (HEC). An HEC can stand as a body which regulates higher education, post-secondary education institutions, universities and other public and private higher education institutions. This paper will focus on the importance of curriculum development using examples where HEC can control and set standards which higher education institutions must follow. The paper will particularly try to answer the following questions: (i) How HECs can prescribe guidelines and conditions under which educational institutions set quality curricula, (ii) How HECs can monitor and evaluate the performance of educational institutions, and (iii) How HECs can advise institutions to develop appropriate curricula which balance teaching and learning.

The growing burden of Parkinson's disease (PD) in Africa necessitates the identification of available therapies and services to improve patient care. To investigate the availability, affordability, frequency of usage, and insurance coverage of PD therapies (pharmacological, surgical, physical, and speech therapies) and services including specialized clinics, specialists, and nurses across Africa. A comprehensive web-based survey was constructed and distributed to neurologists/physicians with a special interest in PD across Africa. The survey instrument includes components that address availability, affordability, frequency of use, and insurance coverage of different therapies and services. Responses were received from 28 (of 43 contacted) countries. Levodopa-based oral preparations were always available in 13 countries (46.4%) with variable affordability and "partial or no" insurance coverage in 60% of countries. Bromocriptine was the most available (50%) and affordable ergot dopamine agonists (DA), whereas non-ergot DA was always available in only six countries (21.4%). Trihexyphenidyl was the most available and affordable anticholinergic drug (46.4%). Tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were available in most countries (89.3% and 85.7% respectively), with variable affordability. Quetiapine and clozapine were less available. Specialized clinics and nurses were available in 25% and 7.1% of countries surveyed, respectively. Other services were largely unavailable in the countries surveyed. PD-specific therapies and services are largely unavailable and unaffordable in most African countries. The data provide a platform for organizing strategies to initiate or scale up existing services and drive policies aimed at improving access to care and tailoring education programs in Africa. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Orientadores: Paula Teixeira Fernandes, Alexandre Fonseca Brandão