The University of Dodoma University of Dodoma Institutional Repository http://repository.udom.ac.tz Social Sciences Master Dissertations 2017 The contribution of socio-cultural practices to the outbreak of cholera in Tanzania: A case study of Ukerewe district Massawe, Ester G. The University of Dodoma Massawe, E. G. (2017). The contribution of socio-cultural practices to the outbreak of cholera in Tanzania: A case study of Ukerewe district. Dodoma: The University of Dodoma http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12661/768 Downloaded from UDOM Institutional Repository at The University of Dodoma, an open access institutional repository. THE CONTRIBUTION OF SOCIO-CULTURAL PRACTICES TO THE OUTBREAK OF CHOLERA IN TANZANIA: A CASE STUDY OF UKEREWE DISTRICT ESTER G. MASSAWE MASTER OF ARTS IN SOCIOLOGY THE UNIVERSITY OF DODOMA JULY, 2017 THE CONTRIBUTION OF SOCIO-CULTURAL PRACTICES TO THE OUTBREAK OF CHOLERA IN TANZANIA: A CASE STUDY OF UKEREWE DISTRICT By Ester G. Massawe A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Sociology of the University of Dodoma The University of Dodoma July, 2017 CERTIFICATION The undersigned certifies that he has read and hereby recommends for acceptance by the University of Dodoma a Dissertation entitled: “The Contribution of Socio-Cultural Practices to the Outbreak of Cholera in Tanzania: A Case Study of Ukerewe District” in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Sociology of the University of Dodoma. ………………… Dr. I. Kombo (SUPERVISOR) Date………… ….. i DECLARATION AND COPYRIGHT I, Ester G. Massawe declare that this dissertation is my own original work and that it has not been presented and will not be presented to any other university for a similar or any other degree award. Signature…………………………. No part of this dissertation may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the author or the University of Dodoma. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To begin with, I would like to thank God, for his power, strength, and protection he has given me, especially during the time of writing this dissertation. Also, I express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. I. Kombo, who has been generous in giving feedback and intelligent insights in a very friendly manner. I am very much touched by his patience and compassion which he exercised tirelessly from day one until the end of my Master's journey. Without his contributions, this study could have not been successfully accomplished. I would also like to thank my colleagues in Master of Arts in Sociology Programme of 2015/2017, my fellow Master's students of different Programs and all other people who have played a role in this study. Furthermore, I wish to acknowledge all my lecturers from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Dodoma for their academic support and cemented foundation of this work. I would also like to appreciate my Head of Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Dr. N. Ishengoma and all members of the Department for their encouragement, assistance and contribution in materials for this report. May the Almighty God bless you all. Above all, I am honestly thankful to my beloved daughter, Caroline for her tolerance and prayers to the successful completion of my study. Special thanks are also extended to my parents and my young brother Alex, for their prayers, moral support, encouragement, and cooperation during my studies. In addition, I would like to extend my special thanks to my research assistants, Belina Seleman and Sophia Minja for enhancing data collection activities. Thanks are also due to all research participants for their willingness in providing relevant information with a maximum cooperation which helped me to complete this study. iii Last but not least, I would like to show appreciation to the District Health Officer, Health Workers, Government Officers at Ilangala ward and all community members of Ilangala ward for their contribution in the accomplishment of this study. iv DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my beloved parents Mr. and Mrs. Boniphace O. Ungando for their supports since I was young up to this stage. May the grace of God be upon you and have a long life. v ABSTRACT This study aimed at exploring the contribution of socio-cultural practices to the outbreak of Cholera. The study involved three villages of Kaseni, Galu, and Kamasi in Ilangala ward within Ukerewe District. Data were collected through social survey, in-depth interview, focus group discussion and documentary review. Both purposeful and simple random sampling procedures were used for sample selection. About 119 respondents were involved in this study. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 20) and Microsoft Excel were applied to analyze the data and then presented through tables, figures, plates, and texts. The research divulged that the objective of this study was to exploring the contribution of socio- cultural factors practices to the Outbreak of Cholera. The specific objectives of this study were to identify socio-cultural practices that contribute to the outbreak of Cholera. The second was to examine awareness of hygiene and sanitation and its contribution to Cholera outbreak, and the last one, is to identify the ways of preventing Cholera outbreak. The findings revealed that the main cause of the cholera outbreak in Ukerewe was undergoing defecation out of toilets, not washing hands after visiting latrine, drinking unboiled water, eating uncovered and cold food, poor hygiene, and sanitation including the absence of the pit latrines. Find also revealed ways of preventing cholera outbreak including thorough provision of education is highly encouraged, improving existing physical infrastructure, enforcement of laws on hygiene and sanitation to curb the situation and to end the cholera history in Ukerewe. Hence the study suggested that intersectoral collaborations among institutions, like Government Ministries, departments, and NGOs on preventing and controlling the outbreak of cholera are essential. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CERTIFICATION ................................................................................................................ i DECLARATION AND COPYRIGHT ...............................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii DEDICATION ..................................................................................................................... v ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................vii LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................xii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... xiii LIST OF PLATES ............................................................................................................ xiv LIST OF ABREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ............................................................. xv CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY ........................................... 1 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background to the Study ................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................... 5 1.4 Research Objectives ....................................................................................................... 6 1.4.1 General Objectives ...................................................................................................... 6 1.4.2 Specific Objectives ..................................................................................................... 6 1.5 Research Questions ..................................................................................................... 6 1.6 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................... 7 1.7 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................... 8 LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Definition of Key Terms ................................................................................................ 8 2.2.1 Socio-Cultural Practices .............................................................................................. 8 2.2.2 Concept of Cholera ..................................................................................................... 8 2.3 Theoretical Literature Review