DSpace 9

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DSpace is the world leading open source repository platform that enables organisations to:

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Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences
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Faculty of Engineering

Recent Submissions

Impact of COVID-19 on healthcare programs in Zimbabwe: a mixed methods study
(BMC Public Health, 2025) Midzi, N.; Haruzivishe, C.; Gonese, E.; Sembuche, S.; Mutsaka-Makuvaza, M. J.; Ayebar, R.; Muwonge, T.; Nakasendwa, S. C.; Mateta, C.; Madanhire, T.; Chaibva, C. N.; Gwatiringa, C.; Mutsaka, K.; Phiri, I.; Abdulaziz, M.; Kabwe, P. C.; Dube-Mawerewere, V.; Tajudeen, R.; Fallah, M. P.; Dobbie, M.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare services. Understanding similar epidemic-related disruptions on a broader scope in our local setting is critical for the effective planning of essential services. The study determined the impact of Coronavirus disease(COVID-19) on healthcare programs in Zimbabwe. Methods: A mixed-methods study compared healthcare service delivery trends from the Ministry of Health and Child Care before, during and post the pandemic. It employed two methods of data collection: Key informant interviews (KII) and secondary data analysis from the Zimbabwe District Health Information Systems 2 (DHIS2). Purposive sampling obtained key informants for interviews whilst 18 healthcare service indicators were identified from the national database. Statistical analysis consisted of an interrupted time series analysis of those indicators preceded by visualization to appreciate trend change. An inductive approach was used to code and identify basic themes which were then triangulated against DHIS2 findings. Results The study revealed that COVID-19 had a negative impact on health service delivery; increasing disruptions of critical healthcare services, maternal and child health, reproductive health issues, and other specialist services were prominent. The rise in maternal and child mortality cases and caesarean sections could be directly linked to the decline in service delivery during the pandemic. Mitigation strategies that were introduced during the pandemic included the use of community-based services, outreach services, capacity building, and de-congestion of public services. Conclusions The pandemic disrupted healthcare delivery, causing service usage to decline due to lockdowns. Response strategies included community services, capacity building, and stakeholder engagement. Future readiness requires epidemic plans, enhanced resources, a multisectoral approach, workforce training, and public education.
Evaluation of the antiproliferative, cytotoxic and phytochemical properties of Zimbabwean medicinal plants used in cancer treatment
(BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 2025) Mlilo, S.; Sibanda, S.; Sithole, S.; Mukanganyama, S.; Naik, Y. S.
Background Cancer cases have been on the rise globally and several treatment strategies have been developed but mortality rates remain high. Zimbabwe, like many other countries, has also experienced a surge in cancer cases. In Zimbabwe, medicinal plants have been widely used to treat cancer for centuries. However, there has been limited research on the effectiveness, safety, and chemical composition of these plants. The current study assessed antiproliferative, cytotoxic and phytochemical properties of selected Zimbabwean medicinal plants. Method Cytotoxic activity of Agelenthus pungu, Carissa edulis, Dombeya rotundifolia, Flacourtia indica, Lannea discolor, Leonotis ocymifolia, Leucas martinicensis, Plicosepalus kalachariensis, Pseudolachnostylis maproneifolia, Solanum incanum, Strychnos cocculoides, Strychnos spinosa and Viscum verrucosum extracts were evaluated on normal murine peritoneal cells and sheep erythrocytes while antiproliferative activity was assessed on Jurkat T and HL60 cell lines. Cell viability was determined using the trypan blue exclusion and sulforhodamine B assay. Additionally, the effect of reduced glutathione on cytotoxic extracts was examined. The phytochemicals of the methanolic extracts were qualitatively determined using standard methods. Results Agelenthus pungu, Carissa edulis, Flacourtia indica, Strychnos cocculoides, Strychnos spinosa and Viscum verrucosum were cytotoxic to normal murine peritoneal cells. Flacourtia indica and Viscum verruscosum caused haemolysis of sheep erythrocytes at a concentration of 250 µg/mL for both plant extracts and 125 µg/mL for Viscum verrucosum. Cell viability increased on addition of 25 µg/mL of reduced glutathione to the extracts considered the most cytotoxic extracts, Agelenthus pungu and Viscum verrucosum. Agelenthus pungu, Carissa edulis, Leonotis ocymifolia, Leucas martinicensis and Viscum verrucosum significantly inhibited Jurkat T and HL60 cell proliferation. Viscum verrucosum was the most potent with the lowest half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 33 and 34 µg/mL on Jurkat T and HL60 cell lines respectively. The most dominant phytochemical classes were alkaloids, flavonoids and saponins. Conclusion This study demonstrates that Agelenthus pungu, Carissa edulis, Leonotis ocymifolia, Leucas martinicensis and Viscum verrucosum have antiproliferative activity against Jurkat T and HL60 cell lines. Viscum verrucosum was the most potent. These findings emphasise the importance of medicinal plants as well as their potential use as sources of novel compounds in anticancer drug discovery.
Gamma exponentiated generalized family of distributions with properties and applications
(Scientific Reports, 2025-10-07) Alshawarbeh, E.; Makubate, B.; Dutta, S.; Musekwa, R. R.
This manuscript introduces the Gamma Exponentiated Generalized-G (GEG-G) family of distributions, developed by integrating the gamma distribution with the exponentiated generalized (EG) family. The resulting class offers enhanced flexibility and can accommodate a broad spectrum of distributional behaviors. Several special cases within the GEG-G family are presented to illustrate its versatility. Parameter estimation is carried out using maximum likelihood point estimation techniques, and the accuracy and efficiency of these estimators are evaluated through a comprehensive Monte Carlo simulation study. To demonstrate practical applicability, a specific member of the GEG-G family is applied to real-world lifetime count datasets.
Explainable Transformer and Machine Learning Models in Predicting Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes. A Systematic Review
(Journal of Applied Informatics and Computing (JAIC), 2026-01-20) Sibanda, S.; Ndlovu, B.
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major health challenge, and predicting treatment outcomes continues to be difficult in real-world settings. Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly transformer-based models, have shown promise in modelling longitudinal, multimodal, and heterogeneous TB data. However, their clinical adoption is constrained by limited interpretability, fairness concerns, and deployment challenges. This study presents a systematic literature review of explainable transformer and machine learning models used for TB prognosis. Following PRISMA guidelines, searches across ACM, IEEE Xplore, PubMed, and ScienceDirect identified 17 peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025 that met the inclusion criteria. The review synthesises evidence on predictive performance, explainability techniques, and deployment considerations. Findings indicate that transformer-based and deep learning models generally outperform conventional machine learning approaches on longitudinal and multimodal data. In contrast, traditional models remain competitive for tabular clinical datasets. Explainability approaches are dominated by feature importance methods and SHAP, with limited use of intrinsic transformer interpretability mechanisms. Persistent challenges include data scarcity, limited generalisability, computational overhead, insufficient evaluation of fairness, and weak alignment with real-world TB care workflows. Building on these findings, the study proposes the Explainable Transformer Adoption Model for TB Prognosis (ETAMTB) as a conceptual clinical adoption framework integrating multimodal transformers, explainability layers, clinician-facing interfaces, and deployment enablers. Overall, the review concludes that effective AI adoption in TB care requires balancing predictive performance, interpretability, and equity, and that explainable transformers should currently be viewed as promising but largely experimental tools rather than deployment-ready solutions.
Flaviviruses of public health concern in South Africa: Present and future threats
(Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2025-08-20) Sibanda-Makuvise, A.; Ndudzo, A.; Burt, F. J.
Background The resurgence and widespread transmission of flaviviruses over the past few decades are particularly concerning. Aim This review discusses the structure, aetiology, transmission, detection, diagnosis and prevention strategies for flaviviruses in South Africa. Setting Climate change, urbanisation, travel, population growth and changes in viral genetics are all driving the establishment and reemergence of flaviviruses in previously non-endemic areas. Medically important flaviviruses such as dengue, Zika, West Nile and yellow fever have geographically expanded, affecting millions worldwide. Method The study was conducted using the search engines, including Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Medline. This review includes published articles on flaviviruses from South Africa and beyond. Results Climate change, urbanisation, population growth and changes in viral genetics contribute to the reemergence of flaviviruses. The West Nile virus (WNV) is the most prevalent flavivirus detected in both animals and humans in South Africa. Lesser-known flaviviruses such as Banzi virus (BANV), Bagaza virus (BAGV), Spondweni virus (SPOV), Wesselsbron virus (WSLV) and Usutu virus (USUV) have also been identified in the region, but their current status remains unclear, possibly due to limited surveillance programmes and/or misdiagnosis. Nucleic acid amplification tests, followed by sequencing and serological assays, are commonly employed technologies for surveillance in South Africa. While there are no licensed vaccines for human use against these flaviviruses, licensed vaccines for WSLV and WNV are available for animals. Conclusion There is a need to develop molecular diagnostic tools for local strains to prevent misdiagnosis, enhance surveillance programmes, implement preventive measures and facilitate the development of therapeutic agents and vaccines. Contribution This review provides insight into the significant health risks that flaviviruses pose to humans and animals. Additionally, it highlights the limitations of diagnostic methods and preventative measures, thereby enhancing the management of these infections.