The article explores the underlying factors influencing unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles among adolescents in Kilifi County, Kenya. Using a qualitative approach, the study involved interviews and focus group discussions with adolescents, sta
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keholders, and young adults. Key findings include a preference for unhealthy, carbohydrate-rich, and sugary foods over traditional and nutritious options, exacerbated by factors like low socioeconomic status, urbanization, and poor farming practices.
Sedentary behavior, such as gambling and extensive technology use, was prevalent, often replacing physical activity. Protective factors like school attendance, community-based services, and parental engagement were identified as mitigating risks. The study highlights the importance of ecological intervention strategies targeting intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community factors to address unhealthy behaviors and promote better health outcomes in adolescents.
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This baseline survey and report examine the Durable Peace Programme (DPP) in Myanmar, which delivers a broad range of activities. The report provides an insight into the current situation facing both internally displaced persons (IDPs) and conflict-affected non-IDP communities in Kachin state, Myanm
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ar. It is based on a comprehensive and systematic research process involving just over 2,200 interviews conducted in 12 townships across Kachin. The research provides data and analysis on the socioeconomic situation, attitudes towards peace and conflict, gender dynamics, return and resettlement, among others. The Durable Peace Programme Consortium has decided to share the results of this baseline, as it provides insights into the Kachin context for interested stakeholders, and also to encourage cooperation and information sharing. The report adopts a highly visual approach to communicate the large amount of data collected.
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A nationwide survey of a representative sample of health facilities across public health services in all states and regions of Myanmar has been undertaken since 2014 to track Reproductive Health Commodity Security (RHCS) indicators, such as the availability of reproductive health (RH) commodities; t
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he supply chain (including cold chain systems); staff training and supervision; availability of guidelines and protocols; information and communication technologies; methods of waste disposal; and user fees. The surveys have also obtained the views of clients about the quality and cost of services through exit interviews. This is the third report for Myanmar, which is an assessment of the situation in 2016.
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The Covid-19 pandemic has so far infected more than 30 million people in the world, having major impact on global health with collateral damage. In Mozambique, a public state of emergency was declared at the end of March 2020. This has limited people's movements and reduced public services, leading
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to a decrease in the number of people accessing health care facilities. An implementation research project, The Alert Community for a Prepared Hospital, has been promoting access to maternal and child health care, in Natikiri, Nampula, for the last four years. Nampula has the second highest incidence of Covid-19. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of Covid-19 pandemic Government restrictions on access to maternal and child healthcare services. We compared health centres in Nampula city with healthcare centres in our research catchment area. We wanted to see if our previous research interventions have led to a more resilient response from the community.
METHODS: Mixed-methods research, descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective, using a review of patient visit documentation. We compared maternal and child health care unit statistical indicators from March-May 2019 to the same time-period in 2020. We tested for significant changes in access to maternal and child health services, using KrushKall Wallis, One-way Anova and mean and standard deviation tests. We compared interviews with health professionals, traditional birth attendants and patients in the two areas. We gathered data from a comparable city health centre and the main city referral hospital. The Marrere health centre and Marrere General Hospital were the two Alert Community for a Prepared Hospital intervention sites.
RESULTS: Comparing 2019 quantitative maternal health services access indicators with those from 2020, showed decreases in most important indicators: family planning visits and elective C-sections dropped 28%; first antenatal visit occurring in the first trimester dropped 26%; hospital deliveries dropped a statistically significant 4% (p = 0.046), while home deliveries rose 74%; children vaccinated down 20%.
CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated the negative collateral effects of Covid-19 pandemic Government restrictions, on access to maternal and child healthcare services, and highlighted the need to improve the health information system in Mozambique.
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7 June 2020 Version 1
Women in Myanmar have traditionally been underrepresented in public decision-making processes, a trend which is continuing in structures established to respond to COVID-19. This means that even as women are disproportionately affected by the crisis, they have less say in how t
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heir communities and country respond to it, increasing the risk of a COVID-19 response that does not adequately address the needs and priorities of the most vulnerable women and girls.
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The 2007 Rwanda Service Provision Assessment (RSPA) was a national representative survey conducted in 538 health facilities throughout Rwanda. The survey covered hospitals, health centers, dispensaries and
health posts, including all public facilities such as government and government-assisted heal
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th facilities. The 2007 RSPA used interviews with health service providers and clients and observations of provider client consultations to obtain information on the capacity of facilities to provide quality services and the existence of functioning systems to support quality services. The areas addressed were the overall facility
infrastructure, maternal and child health, reproductive health, tuberculosis, malaria services; and services for sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS. The objective was to assess the strengths and
weaknesses of the infrastructure and systems supporting these services, and to assess the adherence to standards in the delivery of services.
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Strategic communication is used to raise awareness of issues among specific target populations. It aims to provide timely, evidence-based, authoritative information and guidance needed for public health action. Proper implementation of strategic communication leads t
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o sustained behaviour change and is essential in overcoming barriers to access to services or generating demand for such services.
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SHOPS and HIA finalized a scope of work with USAID Senegal in April 2015, and a team of five private sector experts conducted the onsite assessments between May and June 2015. The Private Sector Assessment (PSA) team worked closely with Senegalese key stakeholders throughout the process. The PSA tea
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m interviewed more than120 individuals from approximately 78 organizations, including the government of Senegal (GOS), donors, USAID implementing partners, private sector umbrella organizations, private insurance companies, faith-based organizations (FBOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), private health care facilities, and private pharmacies.
Through stakeholder interviews and review of government reports and online resources, the assessment team noted the following findings by theme.
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This evaluation is the fifth in a series of structured evaluations of CFS and was completed as part of three-year collaboration with World Vision and Columbia University. It was conducted with Syrian refugees in an urban setting in Zarqa, Jordan during the months of February to August 2014. The CFS
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was implemented through partners and supported and monitored by World Vision Jordan. Interviews were conducted during a one-week registration period hosted by partner staff and preceded by awareness campaigns in the community. Measurement tools were selected to assess impact in three areas in line with the programme’s key objectives: (a) the protection of children from risk, (b) supporting caregivers and communities in strengthening systems of child protection, and (c) the promotion of children’s psychosocial wellbeing (including the acquisition of skills and knowledge).
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Masangane Case Study
The Vesper Society commissioned ARHAP to do research on the integrated Masangane HIV/AIDS programme affiliated with the Moravian Church in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Completed in 2006, this study aimed to understand the role of the religious health assets of the Masangane ART
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programme for public health, as a model for a replicable response to HIV/AIDS. A crucial aspect of this research involved teasing out what value is added to this programme by its faith-based nature. Field work for this case study consisted of more than 20 key informant interviews of various stakeholders: Masangane staff and management; church leaders; health seekers; donors and health providers. Health seekers also answered 77 questionnaires and were involved in two focus groups.
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Background
Asthma education, a key component of long-term asthma management, is challenging in resource-limited settings with shortages of clinical staff. Task-shifting educational roles to lay (non-clinical) staff is a potential solution. We conducted a randomised controlled trial of an enhanced a
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sthma care intervention for children in Malawi, which included reallocation of asthma education tasks to lay-educators. In this qualitative sub-study, we explored the experiences of asthmatic children, their families and lay-educators, to assess the acceptability, facilitators and barriers, and perceived value of the task-shifting asthma education intervention.
Methods
We conducted six focus group discussions, including 15 children and 28 carers, and individual interviews with four lay-educators and a senior nurse. Translated transcripts were coded independently by three researchers and key themes identified.
Results
Prior to the intervention, participants reported challenges in asthma care including the busy and sometimes hostile clinical environment, lack of access to information and the erratic supply of medication. The education sessions were well received: participants reported greater understanding of asthma and their treatment and confidence to manage symptoms. The lay-educators appreciated pre-intervention training, written guidelines, and access to clinical support. Low education levels among carers presented challenges, requiring an open, non-critical and individualised approach.
Discussion
Asthma education can be successfully delivered by lay-educators with adequate training, supervision and support, with benefits to the patients, their families and the community. Wider implementation could help address human resource shortages and support progress towards Universal Health Coverage.
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ABOUT THE REPORT
Based on more than seventy interviews, surveys of both mainstream and social media in Myanmar, and a desk review of available election-related materials, this report evaluates the environment in which the current electoral cycle, R
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akhine conflicts, and the 21st Century Panglong peace process intersect and identifies opportunities for mitigating conflict risks in the lead-up to the 2020 Myanmar election.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Mary Callahan is an associate professor in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. Myo Zaw Oo is an independent researcher focusing on conflict and elections.
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Refugees and migrants face unacceptable and extreme forms of violence on mixed migration routes from East and West Africa to and through North Africa. This report provides clear and strong findings based on almost 16,000 interviews with refugees and
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migrants all along the migration routes. It provides clear data on the extent to which refugees and migrants face various violations of their rights, and identifies who are generally reported to be responsible and should thus be held accountable.
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These Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) explore the ecological dimensions of the world’s religions. Developed over the course of several years, they draw on a rich variety of lectures, videos, readings, and interviews with scholars, religious le
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aders, and environmental practitioners from around the world. They highlight religious ideas and practices inspiring ecojustice movements in response to the challenges of the climate emergency, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Developed over the course of several years, they draw on a rich variety of lectures, videos, readings, and interviews with scholars, religious leaders, and environmental practitioners from around the world. They highlight religious ideas and practices inspiring eco-justice movements in response to the challenges of the climate emergency, biodiversity loss, and pollution
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nt. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2014, 11(12), 13097-13116; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph111213097
Climate change will increase the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events and create risks that will impact health care facilities. Health care facilities will need to assess climate chang
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e risks and adopt adaptive management strategies to be resilient, but guidance tools are lacking. In this study, a toolkit was developed for health care facility officials to assess the resiliency of their facility to climate change impacts. A mixed methods approach was used to develop climate change resiliency indicators to inform the development of the toolkit. The toolkit consists of a checklist for officials who work in areas of emergency management, facilities management and health care services and supply chain management, a facilitator’s guide for administering the checklist, and a resource guidebook to inform adaptation. Six health care facilities representing three provinces in Canada piloted the checklist. Senior level officials with expertise in the aforementioned areas were invited to review the checklist, provide feedback during qualitative interviews and review the final toolkit at a stakeholder workshop. The toolkit helps health care facility officials identify gaps in climate change preparedness, direct allocation of adaptation resources and inform strategic planning to increase resiliency to climate change.
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International Journal of Special Education. Vol.29 (3) 2014, 69-81
Educating students with disabilities in an inclusive general education setting has been shown to increase academic achievement, increase peer acceptance, increase self esteem, create a richer friendship network, and have positive li
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fetime benefits (higher salaried jobs, independent living). In addition, inclusion can have benefits for students without disabilities. The West African nation of Senegal has pledged to increase inclusive education for students with disabilities by 2015. Issues that affect inclusive education for all in Senegal are access to schooling, community and societal perceptions of individuals with disabilities, poverty, and teacher training and pedagogy. To increase inclusive education for all in Senegal the country must increase access to schooling through physical accessibility and decentralization, create community awareness campaigns that increase knowledge of disabilities, and develop teacher training that fosters a student-centered pedagogy.
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Auswertung der Befragungen in ausgewählten Unterkünften
In this report a nutrition governance framework was applied to research and analyse the provincial experience with nutrition policy in Pakistan, looking both at chronic and acute malnutrition. Twenty-one in-depth interviews with key stakeholders wer
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e also conducted along with a review of published and grey literature. Findings were validated and supplemented by consultative provincial roundtable meetings. Punjab’s nutritional puzzle is that it has high levels of chronic malnutrition and micro-nutrient deficiencies despite a surplus production of food and a low poverty level. Under-nutrition is mainly linked to insufficient attention to preventive health strategies and to a lack of connection between relevant sectors such as Education, Health, Poverty, Safe Water and Sanitation, and Food. Strategic opportunities are recommended which include cross-party political support and ownership for nutrition, with steering by executive leadership; multi-sectoral action and functional integration of various departments and programmes with the creation of a central convening structure for effective cross-sectoral coordination; broadening of nutritional activities beyond salt iodization and vitamin A coverage; central co-ordination of monitoring and evaluation and effective partnerships between the state and non-state sector around data production, awareness, advocacy, and monitoring.
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EVALUATION REPORT | The purpose of the evaluation is to strengthen child protection programming in the context of emergencies by assessing UNICEF’s performance and drawing lessons and recommendations that will influence ongoing and future programmes, in both preparedness and response. Apart from g
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lobal and regional interviews and desk reviews, the evaluation is grounded in a solid base of evidence from four indepth case studies of recent emergency responses, in Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan and South Sudan, as well as extensive research covering eight additional countries.
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