1.  Peer Reviewed Title: Project AID Khmer: addressing the health impact of HIV/AIDS on Cambodia through rural capacity building. Author: Chang M; Kong NB; Phal V; Pugatch D; Allen S Source: Global Public Health. 2009 May 27;:1-12. Abstract: HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in Cambodia have largely focussed on urban populations. This focus, however, has diverted attention from the impact of the disease on rural communities, where poverty and a lack of basic infrastructure forced many to migrate to urban areas. Rural communities thus play a crucial part in the understanding of HIV/AIDS transmission dynamics in Cambodia. This paper will provide an analysis of socio-economic and health-related needs of rural communities in Cambodia, giving a different context for understanding the national burden of HIV/AIDS. These concepts will be illustrated with experiences from Project AID Khmer, a Cambodian non-governmental organisation that is working to improve Cambodian health through education programmes and community capacity building in rural Takeo province. Language: English Keywords: CAMBODIA | RESEARCH REPORT | EVALUATION | RURAL POPULATION | NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS | CAPACITY BUILDING | HIV PREVENTION | SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS | PROGRAM EVALUATION | POVERTY | AGRICULTURE | LAND TENURE | RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION | HIV TRANSMISSION | RISK FACTORS | Developing Countries | Asia, Southeastern | Asia | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Organizations | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Program Sustainability | Programs | Organization and Administration | HIV Infections | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Economic Factors | Macroeconomic Factors | Migration | Population Dynamics | Health Document Number: 341470 |
| 2. Title: Promoting food security and well-being among poor and HIV/AIDS affected households: lessons from an interactive and integrated approach. Author: Swaans K; Broerse J; Meincke M; Mudhara M; Bunders J Source: Evaluation and Program Planning. 2009 Feb;32(1):31-42. Abstract: Participatory and interdisciplinary approaches have been suggested to develop appropriate agricultural innovations as an alternative strategy to improve food security and well-being among HIV/AIDS affected households. However, sustainable implementation of such interactive approaches is far from easy and straight forward. This study reports of the Interactive Learning and Action (ILA) approach, a methodology for agricultural innovation which has been adapted to the context of HIV/AIDS. Role players in agriculture and health were brought together to stimulate and sustain innovation among three support groups for poor and affected households in a rural high HIV/AIDS prevalence area in South Africa. The effectiveness of the approach was evaluated using both outcome and process criteria. The results indicate that an interactive approach in which service providers/researchers engage themselves as actors to explore the livelihood system and develop appropriate solutions in joint collaboration with resource users has potential. However, it also revealed that cooperation among participants and stakeholders at the interface of agriculture and HIV/AIDS is complicated and sensitive to erosion. Of particular concern was the difficulty of mobilizing members from poor and affected households to participate and to overcome stigma and discrimination. Lessons and potential applications for the further development of interactive approaches are discussed. Language: English Keywords: SOUTH AFRICA | RESEARCH REPORT | EVALUATION | LOW INCOME POPULATION | PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS | FOOD SECURITY | AGRICULTURE | SUPPORT GROUPS | HIV INFECTIONS | AIDS | INTEGRATED PROGRAMS | Developing Countries | Africa, Southern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Social Class | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Food Supply | Natural Resources | Environment | Macroeconomic Factors | Social Networks | Friends and Relatives | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Programs | Organization and Administration Document Number: 341362 |
3.  Title: Rural population, development and the environment 2007. [Wallchart]. Author: United Nations. Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Population Division Source: New York, New York, United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, 2008 Mar. [2] p. (ST/ESA/SER.A/275) Abstract: The wall chart on Rural Population, Development and the Environment 2007 displays information on various aspects of population, environment and development, including changes in rural populations and their relationship with development and the environment. The wall chart include information for 228 countries or areas as well as data at the regional and sub-regional levels. (author's) Language: English Keywords: GLOBAL | TABLES AND CHARTS | UN | RURAL POPULATION | RURAL POPULATION DISTRIBUTION | RURAL DEVELOPMENT | POPULATION GROWTH | ENVIRONMENT | ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT | AGRICULTURE | International Agencies | Organizations | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Population Distribution | Geographic Factors | Economic Factors | Population Dynamics | Macroeconomic Factors Document Number: 325833 |
| 4. Title: Assessment of urine-diverting EcoSan toilets in Nepal. Report. Author: WaterAid Source: Kupondole, Nepal, WaterAid in Nepal, 2008 Sep. 72 p. Abstract: The study has found that, overall, the development and promotion of EcoSan toilets in Nepal has been very good. Based on the findings of this study, the following measures are recommended as a way forward for regulating and scaling up EcoSan in Nepal: 1. Institute regulated system for promoting EcoSan by designing a system to standardize designs based on local needs, develop a uniform financing system and ensure quality control. 2. Use the agricultural sector, including research institutions and the large network of extension workers, to further promote EcoSan throughout Nepal. 3. Demonstrate EcoSan in different areas outside the Kathmandu valley - particularly in communities where availability of water and fertilizer is a problem and use of human excreta is not a social taboo. 4. Include EcoSan promotion in existing sanitation and agriculture-related projects and programmes. 5. Promote urine utilization by ensuring that a good urine collection system, with 100 litre plastic tanks, and proper training is mandatory for all EcoSan toilets. 6. Demonstrate the concept of a urine bank that collects urine from different EcoSan users or from places where urine is produced in large quantities and then stores it properly and distributes it when there is a demand for it. 7. Reduce the cost of EcoSan and introduce cost effective models. 8. Promote organic fertilizer. 9. Build local capacity by providing training. 10. Raise awareness of EcoSan through mass communication as well as interpersonal communication. 11. Conduct regular research and monitoring on the performance of EcoSan toilets. 12. Build effective networks for learning and coordination among individuals and organizations involved in promoting EcoSan in Nepal. (Excerpts) Language: English Keywords: NEPAL | EVALUATION REPORT | SANITATION | WASTE MANAGEMENT | APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY | LATRINES | AGRICULTURE | PERCEPTION | COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS | PROMOTION | Developing Countries | Asia, Southern | Asia | Evaluation | Public Health | Health | Environment | Technology | Economic Factors | Macroeconomic Factors | Psychological Factors | Behavior | Quantitative Evaluation | Marketing Document Number: 331420 |
| 5. Title: Ecological sanitation latrines: The experience of Nepal. Author: WaterAid Source: Kupondole, Nepal, WaterAid in Nepal, 2008 Sep. 19 p. (Fieldwork Paper) Abstract: The urbanization trend in developing countries including Nepal is accelerating, thus exacerbating the condition of proper sanitation coverage. Despite greater sanitation coverage in urban areas compared to rural parts of Nepal, access to sanitation facilities does not solve the problem of improved sanitation. This is because conventional latrines normally lead to various other pressing environmental problems, along with the injustice of scarce water resources for flushing latrines to keep excreta out of sight, which means that other community accepted sustainable solutions are needed. Therefore, considering the present context and sanitation situation of the country, there is a need for a holistic approach to call for hygienic, sustainable and ecofriendly alternatives and hence, ecological sanitation toilets. This paper argues that Nepal's historical acceptance of ecological sanitation, and its recent experience in using the approach - set out in the evidence presented here - mean that Ecological Sanitation (Ecosan) could be very valuable. It could confront these problems and provide potential "added value" to the livelihood link through agricultural production and water and environment conservation. This paper highlights acceptance and use related issues, lessons learned and challenges experienced for scaling up. (Excerpt) Language: English Keywords: NEPAL | URBAN AREAS | CRITIQUE | SANITATION | WASTE MANAGEMENT | APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY | LATRINES | HYGIENE | AGRICULTURE | PERCEPTION | COST EFFECTIVENESS | PROMOTION | Developing Countries | Asia, Southern | Asia | Geographic Factors | Population | Public Health | Health | Environment | Technology | Economic Factors | Macroeconomic Factors | Psychological Factors | Behavior | Evaluation Indexes | Quantitative Evaluation | Evaluation | Marketing Document Number: 331422 |
| 6. Title: Protecting health from climate change: World Health Day 2008. Summary of issues paper. Author: World Health Organization [WHO] Source: [Geneva, Switzerland], WHO, 2008. 2 p. Abstract: There is now widespread agreement that the earth is warming, due to emissions of greenhouse gases caused by human activity. It is also clear that current trends in energy use development and population growth will lead to continuing - and more severe - climate change. The changing climate will inevitably affect the basic requirements for maintaining health: clean air and water, sufficient food and adequate shelter. Each year, about 800 000 people die from causes attributable to urban air pollution, 1.8 million from diarrhoea resulting from lack of access to clean water supply, sanitation, and poor hygiene, 3.5 million from malnutrition and approximately 60 000 in natural disasters. A warmer and more variable climate threatens to lead to higher levels of some air pollutants, increase transmission of diseases through unclean water and through contaminated food, to compromise agricultural production in some of the least developed countries, and increase the hazards of extreme weather. Climate change also brings new challenges to the control of infectious diseases. Many of the major killers are highly climate sensitive as regards to temperature and rainfall, including cholera, and the diarrhoeal diseases, as well as diseases including malaria, dengue and other infections carried by vectors. In sum, climate change threatens to slow, halt or reverse the progress that the global public health community is now making against many of these diseases. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: GLOBAL | CRITIQUE | EVALUATION | GLOBAL WARMING | WORLD HEALTH DAY | HEALTH | DISEASES | ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION | NATURAL DISASTERS | EPIDEMICS | WATER SUPPLY | AGRICULTURE | WHO | Climate | Environment | International Cooperation | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Natural Resources | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | UN | International Agencies | Organizations Document Number: 325695 |
| 7. Title: HIV/AIDS and farms' production efficiency in Benue State, Nigeria. Author: Adeoti AI; Adeoti JO Source: African Journal of Biomedical Research. 2008 May;11(2):145-153. Abstract: The paper evaluates the impact of the health status of farm households with respect to HIV/AIDS on their cropping patterns, incomes and technical efficiencies in Benue State of Nigeria. Primary data was collected from 155 farm households made up of 55 HIV/AIDS and related sicknesses infected households and 100 non- infected households. The results demonstrated that HIV/AIDS has led to decreased farm size and reduction in the variety of crops cultivated on HIV farms. The average gross revenue, average gross margin and farm profit on non-HIV farms were higher than on HIV farms. The average gross margins for the two farm groups are statistically different at 1 percent level. The significant variables that affect output levels on HIV farms are farm size, hired labour and fertilizer. On non-HIV farms, output levels are affected by farm size, family labour and fertilizer. The technical efficiencies for the two farm groups are statistically different at 1 percent level. Generally, non-HIV farms are more technically efficient with a mean of 0.70 as compared with 0.52 on HIV farms. Increase in the years of schooling reduces the technical inefficiencies of farms in both groups. Language: English Keywords: NIGERIA | RESEARCH REPORT | MIDDLE INCOME POPULATION | AGRICULTURE | INCOME | Developing Countries | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Social Class | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Macroeconomic Factors Document Number: 340134 |
| 8. Title: Impact of urban agriculture on water reuse and related activities on the rural population of the coastal settlements of Ondo State, Nigeria. Author: Akegbejo-Samsons Y Source: African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development. 2008 Sep;8(1):48-62. Abstract: Throughout the globe, agriculture is increasingly a part of city landscapes. Rising demands for water to supply agriculture, industry and cities are leading to competition over the allocation of limited water resources. It has been observed that coastal wetland settlements are usually worse hit by discharge and effluents of upper-stream water uses. This paper discusses the practice of urban agriculture (UA) and fishing, which is a predominant coastal activity in the coastal settlements of Ondo state of Nigeria. It highlights the problems and prospects of urban agriculture on the local economies of the study areas. Results from this study show that UA was a preferred complement to rural agricultural practice. It was observed that UA complemented supplies from rural agriculture, whereby arable crops and regular village menu items are produced along side perennial crops. Products like tomatoes, okra, African garden-eggs and peppers are produced to complement those produced from rural agriculture. Increasing coastal poverty was found to have assumed a staggering phenomenon in over 64% of the visited coastal cities. Community food security at the household level in the study area has forced the community to be involved in the following UA activities: (a) arable farming within open spaces and court yards; (b) vegetable production; (c) paddy rice production especially in cities like Mahin, Idiogba, that are located close to canals and lagoons; (d) cassava and yam production in upland coastal cities such as Igbokoda and Igbekebo. The results show that as successful as urban agriculture seems to be, incomes from fishing and other aquacultural activities was higher than rural and urban agriculture. Successful local water recycling has not been practicable in the study area and as a result the same quality of water is used for human, animal and agricultural purposes. Specifically, over 80% of household water demand is from canals, rivers and streams in these study areas. This was found to have a serious health implication. In monetary terms, incomes from fishing were found to be higher than that from urban agriculture by over 65%, however fishers still prefer to combine UA with fishing for reason of food intake (feeding the family with staple food varieties). Sustainable management of the coastal areas for overall productivity is advocated. Language: English Keywords: NIGERIA | RESEARCH REPORT | SURVEYS | RURAL POPULATION | URBAN AREAS | WATER SUPPLY | RECYCLING | AGRICULTURE | ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION | FISHING | FOOD SUPPLY | PUBLIC HEALTH | SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT | ECONOMIC FACTORS | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Geographic Factors | Natural Resources | Environment | Waste Management | Macroeconomic Factors | Occupations | Human Resources | Health | Economic Development Document Number: 322519 |
| 9. Peer Reviewed Title: Malaria transmission and rice cultivation in Lagdo, northern Cameroon. Author: Antonio-Nkondjio C; Atangana J; Ndo C; Awono-Ambene P; Fondjo E Source: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 2008 Apr;102(4):352-359. Abstract: Cross-sectional entomological surveys were carried out during the 2006 dry and rainy seasons in Lagdo, Cameroon to measure the impact of rice cultivation on malaria transmission and to monitor vector susceptibility to insecticides. Adult anopheline mosquitoes were captured on human volunteers and by pyrethrum spray collections. A total of 4740 mosquitoes was collected during the study. Anopheles arabiensis was the major species and the main malaria vector in all study sites, followed by A. funestus. Malaria transmission was high in the non-irrigated zone of Mayo Mbocki, whereas in the irrigated area of Gounougou it was below detection level during the dry season and high during the rainy season. Insecticide susceptibility tests performed on A. gambiae s.l. populations detected resistance to lambdacyhalothrin and to a lower extent to deltamethrin. All survivors were A. arabiensis. None of the surviving mosquitoes carried the kdr mutation, suggesting an alternative resistance mechanism. (author's) Language: English Keywords: CAMEROON | RESEARCH REPORT | CROSS SECTIONAL ANALYSIS | AGRICULTURAL WORKERS | MALARIA | TRANSMISSION | AGRICULTURE | INSECTS | PESTICIDES | DRUG RESISTANCE | VECTOR CONTROL | IRRIGATION | Developing Countries | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Research Methodology | Labor Force | Human Resources | Economic Factors | Parasitic Diseases | Diseases | Infections | Macroeconomic Factors | Disease Transmission Control | Prevention and Control | Ingredients and Chemicals | Treatment | Medical Procedures | Medicine | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Health Document Number: 325274 |
| 10. Peer Reviewed Title: Contextual correlates of child malnutrition in rural Maharashtra. Author: Bawdekar M; Ladusingh L Source: Journal of Biosocial Science. 2008 Sep;40(5):771-786. Abstract: This paper examines the role of observed contextual factors like topography, development and literacy on severe malnutrition among social groups in rural Maharashtra based on the Reproductive and Child Health District Level Household Survey (RCH-DLHS) Round II (2002-04) data. Multilevel modelling techniques were applied in order to examine the district-wise variations in severe malnutrition associated with the characteristics of the places (contextual effects), as the relationships with the type of people (compositional effects) have already been well established. The results show that developmental aspects such as road connectivity, community literacy, toilet facilities and household standard of living contribute positively to the status of severe malnutrition. Also, the scheduled tribe, aboriginal underprivileged group are more at risk of severe malnourishment due to a lack of proper development, poor awareness about maintaining and enhancing the nutritional value of food and lack of hygiene and sanitation as compared with the scheduled castes, another aboriginal group. Language: English Keywords: INDIA | RESEARCH REPORT | DATA ANALYSIS | CENSUS | RURAL AREAS | TRIBES | CHILD | MALNUTRITION | LITERACY | AGRICULTURE | POVERTY | STANDARD OF LIVING | HYGIENE | SANITATION | Developing Countries | Asia, Southern | Asia | Research Methodology | Population Statistics | Geographic Factors | Population | Cultural Background | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Youth | Age Factors | Nutrition Disorders | Diseases | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Macroeconomic Factors | Public Health | Health Document Number: 308355 |
| 11. Title: Analyzing the origin of armed conflicts and their impact on women: the case of western Cameroon. Author: Bechon CR Source: Women's World. 2008;43:19-23. Abstract: Language: English Keywords: CAMEROON | HISTORICAL REVIEW | EVALUATION | WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT | ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN | WAR | COLONIALISM | HUMAN RIGHTS | SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS | POLITICAL FACTORS | LAND TENURE | AGRICULTURE | VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN | WOMEN'S RIGHTS | Developing Countries | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Economic Development | Economic Factors | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Political Systems | Macroeconomic Factors | Domestic Violence | Crime | Social Problems Document Number: 331340 |
| 12. Title: Agriculture in the time of HIV / AIDS: a report on the situation in sub-Saharan Africa prepared for NORAD. Author: Bie SW Source: Aas, Norway, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Department of International Environment and Development Studies, Noragric, 2008 Feb. [35] p. (Noragric Report No. 42) Abstract: This report attempts to see agriculture through an HIV/AIDS lens, but also HIV/AIDS through an agriculture lens. Agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa consists of many farming systems, many of them representing subsistence farming, some bordering on smaller commercial farming enterprises. Some of them are close to markets, some of them are remote. They are all run by people, rural people, who face many challenges. HIV/AIDS is among the most serious ones. Rural people are naturally risk-averse. With limited capital reserves they cannot afford to take serious economic risks. Yet they are faced with risks that are ultimately interwoven with both their finances and their personal lives. The spread of HIV and subsequent AIDS-induced diseases in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have over the last 20-30 years been closely related to the decline of both food security and the structural support to the primary rural industries (particularly agriculture) there. Poor nutritional status (rampant malnutrition and undernutrition in most age groups) and a heavy general disease burden (malaria, venereal diseases, parasitic infections) predispose for HIV infection. Mycotoxins in staple foods (particularly aflotoxin) may further weaken the human immune system. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: AFRICA, SUB SAHARAN | LITERATURE REVIEW | AGRICULTURAL WORKERS | PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS | RURAL POPULATION | AGRICULTURE | HIV INFECTIONS | AIDS | MALNUTRITION | FOOD SUPPLY | Developing Countries | Africa | Labor Force | Human Resources | Economic Factors | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Macroeconomic Factors | Nutrition Disorders | Natural Resources | Environment Document Number: 325640 |
| 13. Peer Reviewed Title: Dynamics of insecticide resistance in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae s.l. from an area of extensive cotton cultivation in Northern Cameroon. Author: Chouaibou M; Etang J; Brevault T; Nwane P; Hinzoumbe CK Source: Tropical Medicine and International Health. 2008 Apr;13(4):476-486. Abstract: The objective was to explore temporal variation in insecticide susceptibility of Anopheles gambiae s.l. populations to the four chemical groups of insecticides used in public health and agriculture, in close match with the large-scale cotton spraying programme implemented in the cotton-growing area of North Cameroon. Mosquito larvae were collected in 2005 before (mid June), during (mid August) and at the end (early October) of the cotton spraying programme. Larvae were sampled in breeding sites located within the cotton fields in Gaschiga and Pitoa, and in Garoua, an urban cotton-free area that served as a control. Insecticide susceptibility tests were carried out with 4% DDT (organochlorine), 0.4% chlorpyrifos methyl (organophosphate), 0.1% propoxur (carbamate), 0.05% deltamethrin and 0.75% permethrin (pyrethroids). Throughout the survey, An. gambiae s.l. populations were completely susceptible to carbamate and organophosphate, whereas a significant decrease of susceptibility to organochlorine and pyrethroids was observed during spraying in cotton-growing areas. Tolerance to these insecticides was associated with a slight increase of knockdown times compared to the reference strain. Among survivor mosquitoes, the East and West African Kdr mutations were detected only in two specimens of An. gambiae s.s. (n = 45) and not in Anopheles arabiensis (n = 150), suggesting metabolic-based resistance mechanisms. Environmental disturbance due to the use of insecticides in agriculture may provide local mosquito populations with the enzymatic arsenal selecting tolerance to insecticides. (author's) Language: English Keywords: CAMEROON | RESEARCH REPORT | INSECTS | MALARIA | PARASITE CONTROL | INGREDIENTS AND CHEMICALS | DRUG RESISTANCE | METABOLIC EFFECTS | PUBLIC HEALTH | AGRICULTURE | ENVIRONMENT | Developing Countries | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Disease Transmission Control | Prevention and Control | Diseases | Parasitic Diseases | Health | Treatment | Medical Procedures | Medicine | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Physiology | Biology | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors Document Number: 325994 |
| 14. Title: Rural household demographics, livelihoods and the environment. Author: de Sherbinin A; VanWey LK; McSweeney K; Aggarwal R; Babbieri A Source: Global Environmental Change. 2008 Feb;18(1):38-53. Abstract: This paper reviews and synthesizes findings from scholarly work on linkages among rural household demographics, livelihoods and the environment. Using the livelihood approach as an organizing framework, we examine evidence on the multiple pathways linking environmental variables and the following demographic variables: fertility, migration, morbidity and mortality, and lifecycles. Although the review draws on studies from the entire developing world, we find the majority of microlevel studies have been conducted in either marginal (mountainous or arid) or frontier environments, especially Amazonia. Though the linkages are mediated by many complex and often context-specific factors, there is strong evidence that dependence on natural resources intensifies when households lose human and social capital through adult morbidity and mortality, and qualified evidence for the influence of environmental factors on household decision-making regarding fertility and migration. Two decades of research on lifecycles and land cover change at the farm level have yielded a number of insights about how households make use of different land-use and natural resource management strategies at different stages. A thread running throughout the review is the importance of managing risk through livelihood diversification, ensuring future income security, and culture-specific norms regarding appropriate and desirable activities and demographic responses. Recommendations for future research are provided. (author's) Language: English Keywords: GLOBAL | DEVELOPING COUNTRIES | RESEARCH REPORT | LITERATURE REVIEW | RURAL POPULATION | HOUSEHOLDS | FAMILY DEMOGRAPHY | POPULATION DYNAMICS | LIVELIHOOD | AGRICULTURE | ENVIRONMENT | FERTILITY CHANGES | MIGRATION | MORBIDITY | MORTALITY | NATURAL RESOURCES | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Family Research | Resources | Organization and Administration | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Fertility | Diseases Document Number: 325787 |
| 15. Title: Village context and health-seeking behaviour in the Fatick Region of Senegal. Author: Franckel A; Arcens F; Lalou R Source: Population-E. 2008;63(3):469-490. Abstract: In the dense literature on health-seeking behaviour in the African rural environment, contextual aspects, and, more especially, differences between villages, are rarely studied. This article therefore considers the village or group of villages as an aggregate level of analysis, based on a study conducted in the Fatick region in Senegal. The descriptive results show significant variations in therapeutic practices, disease management and health care planning strategies from one village to the next. At different levels, individual health-seeking behaviours appear to be conditioned by a set of collective norms developed by the village community. The spatial analysis shows that these variations in behaviour describe two distinct geographic sets, distinguished by different levels of access to health facilities and different historical, social and cultural characteristics. These results challenge the validity of a unified approach to the African rural environment and call for further research to analyse the impact of numerous contextual, quantitative and qualitative factors on health-seeking behaviour. Spanish Abstract: Dentro de la densa literatura sobre los comportamientos a la hora de recurrir a la asistencia médica en medio rural africano, los componentes contextuales y en particular las diferencias entre las aldeas son rara vez estudiados. Frente a estos hechos, este artículo considera a la aldea, o al grupo de aldeas, como nivel agregado de análisis, a partir de un estudio llevado a cabo en la región de Fatick, en Senegal. Los resultados descriptivos evidencian elevadas variaciones de las prácticas terapéuticas, de las modalidades de tratamiento de la enfermedad y de las estrategias de planificación de la asistencia de un pueblo a otro. A diferentes niveles, los comportamientos a la hora de recurrir a asistencia médica aparecen subordinados a un conjunto de normas colectivas generadas por la comunidad aldeana. El análisis espacial muestra que estas variaciones de comportamiento describen dos conjuntos geográficos, distinguidos por un nivel de equipamiento sanitario, características históricas, sociales y culturales diferentes. Estos resultados cuestionan el enfoque unificado del medio rural africano y hacen un llamado a otras investigaciones que profundicen el análisis del impacto de numerosos factores contextuales, cuantitativos y cualitativos, sobre los comportamientos a la hora de recurrir a asistencia médica. French Abstract: Au sein de la dense littérature sur les comportements de recours aux soins en milieu rural africain, les composantes contextuelles, et notamment les différences entre les villages, sont rarement étudiées. Face à ce constat, cet article considère le village, ou le groupe de villages, comme niveau agrégé d'analyse, à partir d'une étude menée dans la région de Fatick, au Sénégal. Les résultats descriptifs mettent en évidence de fortes variations des pratiques thérapeutiques, des modalités de prise en charge de la maladie et des stratégies de planification des soins d'un village à l'autre. À différents niveaux, les comportements de recours aux soins individuels apparaissent conditionnés par un ensemble de normes collectives générées par la communauté villageoise. L'analyse spatiale montre que ces variations comportementales décrivent deux ensembles géographiques, distingués par un niveau d'équipement sanitaire, des caractéristiques historiques, sociales et culturelles différentes. Ces résultats questionnent l'approche unifiée du milieu rural africain et appellent d'autres recherches, approfondissant l'analyse de l'impact de nombreux facteurs contextuels, quantitatifs et qualitatifs, sur les comportements de recours aux soins. Language: English Keywords: SENEGAL | RESEARCH REPORT | KAP SURVEYS | CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISONS | CHILDREN | HOUSEHOLDS | RURAL POPULATION | ETHNIC GROUPS | UTILIZATION OF HEALTH CARE | FEVER | MALARIA | HUMAN GEOGRAPHY | RELIGION | CULTURE | AGRICULTURE | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Surveys | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Comparative Studies | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Cultural Background | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Body Temperature | Physiology | Biology | Parasitic Diseases | Diseases | Geography | Social Sciences | Science | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors Document Number: 329876 |
| 16. Title: Gender, famine and HIV / AIDS: Rethinking new variant famine in Malawi. Author: Gibbs A Source: African Journal of AIDS Research. 2008 May;7(1):9-17. Abstract: Although making a large and rapid impact on our understandings of the interactions between famine and HIV/AIDS, the new variant famine hypothesis has had little critical scrutiny. This paper uses a case study of the Malawian food crisis of 2001/2002 to contribute to understandings of new variant famine (NVF). The critical approach argues that a consideration for gender - the socially constructed relationship between men and women - needs to be central to understanding the interactions between HIV/AIDS and famine, which the NVF hypothesis seeks to explain. Evidence from the Malawian crisis is highly suggestive, although not conclusive, that NVF is best understood as mediated by gender inequalities. (author's) Language: English Keywords: MALAWI | RESEARCH REPORT | WOMEN | HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD | HOUSEHOLDS | FOOD SECURITY | GENDER ISSUES | BEHAVIOR | FOOD AND BEVERAGE | AGRICULTURE | FAMINE | HIV INFECTIONS | AIDS | IMPACT | Developing Countries | Africa, Southern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Demographic Factors | Population | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Food Supply | Natural Resources | Environment | Nutrition | Health | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Communication Document Number: 327156 |
| 17. Title: Oral clefts: a retrospective study of prevalence and predisposal factors in the State of Mexico. Author: Gonzalez BS; Lopez ML; Rico MA; Garduno F Source: Journal of Oral Science. 2008 Jun;50(2):123-9. Abstract: The purpose of this study was to up-date the records concerning oral clefts (OCs) encountered at the Child Hospital of the Maternal Infantile Institute of the State of Mexico, and to examine the association of predisposing factors. A retrospective study of the medical records of patients generated over a 5-year period was carried out. A total of 835 files were reviewed, representing 504 boys and 331 girls. The studied variables were the type of oral clefts and predisposing factors. Kendal correlations at P < or = 0.05 and chi-squared at P < or = 0.05 were used to find any associations between variables. The distribution of oral cleft was: cleft lip and palate (CLP) 70%, cleft palate (CP) 21%, cleft lip (CL) 8%, separate cleft lip and cleft palate 1%. The sex ratios were 1.7 for CLP, 1.7 for CL, and 1 for CP. Municipalities with ethnic groups as well as industrial, agricultural and pottery activities showed a high rate of prevalence. Although there was no significant association with birth weight, familial history of clefting, consanguinity, medication usage during pregnancy, or paternal occupational risk, the results suggested that the most severe clefts were proportionally related to these factors. A significant association with maternal and paternal age, abortion rate, and parity was found. Additionally, maternal agricultural activities suggested that pesticide exposure might be a factor. Language: English Keywords: MEXICO | RESEARCH REPORT | EPIDEMIOLOGIC METHODS | CLINICAL RESEARCH | RETROSPECTIVE STUDIES | ETHNIC GROUPS | INFANT | PREVALENCE | ORAL EFFECTS | RISK FACTORS | SEX FACTORS | AGRICULTURE | POVERTY | AGE FACTORS | BIRTH WEIGHT | North America | Americas | Developing Countries | Research Methodology | Studies | Cultural Background | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Youth | Measurement | Physiology | Biology | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Socioeconomic Factors | Body Weight Document Number: 328989 |
| 18. Peer Reviewed Title: Malaria risk and access to prevention and treatment in the paddies of the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. Author: Hetzel MW; Alba S; Fankhauser M; Mayumana I; Lengeler C Source: Malaria Journal. 2008 Jan 9;7:7. Abstract: The Kilombero Valley is a highly malaria-endemic agricultural area in south-eastern Tanzania. Seasonal flooding of the valley is favourable to malaria transmission. During the farming season, many households move to distant field sites (shamba in Swahili) in the fertile river floodplain for the cultivation of rice. In the shamba, people live for several months in temporary shelters, far from the nearest health services. This study assessed the impact of seasonal movements to remote fields on malaria risk and treatment-seeking behaviour. A longitudinal study followed approximately 100 randomly selected farming households over six months. Every household was visited monthly and whereabouts of household members, activities in the fields, fever cases and treatment seeking for recent fever episodes were recorded. Fever incidence rates were lower in the shamba compared to the villages and moving to the shamba did not increase the risk of having a fever episode. Children aged 1-4 years, who usually spenda considerable amount of time in the shamba with their caretakers, were more likely to have a fever than adults (odds ratio = 4.47, 95% confidence interval 2.35-8.51). Protection with mosquito nets in the fields was extremely good (98% usage) but home-stocking of antimalarials was uncommon. Despite the long distances to health services, 55.8% (37.9-72.8) of the fever episodes were treated at a health facility, while home-management was less common (37%, 17.4-50.5). Living in the shamba does not appear to result in a higher fever-risk. Mosquito nets usage and treatment of fever in health facilities reflect awareness of malaria. Inability to obtain drugs in the fields may contribute to less irrational use of drugs but may pose an additional burden on poor farming households. A comprehensive approach is needed to improve access to treatment while at the same time assuring rational use of medicines and protecting fragile livelihoods. (author's) Language: English Keywords: TANZANIA | RESEARCH REPORT | LONGITUDINAL STUDIES | HOUSEHOLDS | AGRICULTURE | SEASONAL VARIATION | MALARIA PREVENTION | RISK FACTORS | DWELLING STRUCTURES | FEVER | ANTIMALARIAL DRUGS | BED NETS | PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY | UTILIZATION OF HEALTH CARE | Developing Countries | Africa, Eastern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Studies | Research Methodology | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Malaria | Parasitic Diseases | Diseases | Biology | Housing | Residence Characteristics | Population Distribution | Geographic Factors | Body Temperature | Physiology | Parasite Control | Public Health | Health | Program Evaluation | Programs | Organization and Administration | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care Document Number: 326266 |
| 19. Title: Towards endogenous livestock development: Borana pastoralists’ responses to environmental and institutional changes. Author: Homann S; Rischkowsky B; Steinbach J; Kirk M; Mathias E Source: Human Ecology. 2008;36:503-520. Abstract: Borana pastoralists in southern Ethiopia are faced with the challenge of developing more efficient and sustainable use of natural resources. In past decades poorly adapted development interventions and inadequate land-use policies aggravated by population growth have weakened pastoral rangeland management. Ignoring pastoralists' technical and organizational capacities has contributed to progressive land degradation, the erosion of social structures and poverty. The Endogenous Livestock Development concept recognises pastoralists' indigenous knowledgebased strategies and priorities, and uses them as the bases for further development of their production system and social relations, to be utilized, improved and combined with modern technologies. This paper explores the Borana pastoralists' adaptive strategies for improved utilization of natural resources and the manner in which they respond to environmental risk and external influences such as water development and new formal administration. The adaptive responses include controlled integration of crop production and protection of grazing reserves, as well as changing cattle breeding priorities and the adoption of camel husbandry. The pastoralists have started negotiations with the administration to regain control of land utilization by strengthening directives for settlements, land use pattern and extraction rates. To support these initiatives the study recommends that pastoralists and other stakeholders enter into an institutionalized process of negotiation that builds on indigenous knowledge and organizational structures and facilitates validation and implementation of newly generated knowledge. Language: English Keywords: ETHIOPIA | RESEARCH REPORT | INDIGENOUS POPULATION | AGRICULTURE | AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT | SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT | NATURAL RESOURCES | WATER SUPPLY | ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | MANAGEMENT | KNOWLEDGE | Developing Countries | Africa, Eastern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Rural Development | Economic Development | Environment | Organization and Administration | Sociocultural Factors Document Number: 329133 |
| 20. Peer Reviewed Title: Impact of urban agriculture on malaria vectors in Accra, Ghana. Author: Klinkenberg E; McCall PJ; Wilson MD; Amerasinghe FP; Donnelly MJ Source: Malaria Journal. 2008 Aug;7(151) Abstract: To investigate the impact of urban agriculture on malaria transmission risk in urban Accra larval and adult stage mosquito surveys, were performed. Local transmission was implicated as Anopheles spp. were found breeding and infected Anopheles mosquitoes were found resting in houses in the study sites. The predominant Anopheles species was Anopheles gambiae s.s.. The relative proportion of molecular forms within a subset of specimens was 86% S-form and 14% M-form. Anopheles spp. and Culex quinquefasciatus outdoor biting rates were respectively three and four times higher in areas around agricultural sites (UA) than in areas far from agriculture (U). The annual Entomological Inoculation Rate (EIR), the number of infectious bites received per individual per year, was 19.2 and 6.6 in UA and U sites, respectively. Breeding sites were highly transitory in nature, which poses a challenge for larval control in this setting. The data also suggest that the epidemiological importance of urban agricultural areas may be the provision of resting sites for adults rather than an increased number of larval habitats. Host-seeking activity peaked between 2-3 am, indicating that insecticide-treated bed nets should be an effective control method. Language: English Keywords: GHANA | RESEARCH REPORT | EPIDEMIOLOGIC METHODS | URBAN POPULATION | MALARIA | INFECTION TRANSMISSION | URBAN AREAS | AGRICULTURE | MOSQUITO CONTROL | PREVALENCE | Developing Countries | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Research Methodology | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Parasitic Diseases | Diseases | Infections | Geographic Factors | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Vector Control | Disease Transmission Control | Prevention and Control | Measurement Document Number: 308028 |
| 21. Peer Reviewed Title: Risk factors of visceral leishmaniasis in East Africa: A case-control study in Pokot territory of Kenya and Uganda. Author: Kolaczinski JH; Reithinger R; Worku DT; Ocheng A; Kasimiro J Source: International Journal of Epidemiology. 2008;37(2):344-352. Abstract: In East Africa, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is endemic in parts of Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Uganda. It is caused by Leishmania donovani and transmitted by the sandfly vector Phlebotomus martini. In the Pokot focus, reaching from western Kenya into eastern Uganda, formulation of a prevention strategy has been hindered by the lack of knowledge on VL risk factors as well as by lack of support from health sector donors. The present study was conducted to establish the necessary evidence-base and to stimulate interest in supporting the control of this neglected tropical disease in Uganda and Kenya. A case-control study was carried out from June to December 2006. Cases were recruited at Amudat hospital, Nakapiripirit district, Uganda, after clinical and parasitological confirmation of symptomatic VL infection. Controls were individuals that tested negative using a rK39 antigen-based dipstick, which were recruited at random from the same communities as the cases. Data were analysed using conditional logistic regression. Ninty-three cases and 226 controls were recruited into the study. Multivariate analysis identified low socio-economic status and treating livestock with insecticide as risk factors for VL. Sleeping near animals, owning a mosquito net and knowing about VL symptoms were associated with a reduced risk of VL. VL affects the poorest of the poor of the Pokot tribe. Distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets combined with dissemination of culturally appropriate behaviour-change education is likely to be an effective prevention strategy. (author's) Language: English Keywords: KENYA | UGANDA | RESEARCH REPORT | CONTROL GROUPS | TRIBES | LEISHMANIASIS | RISK FACTORS | AGRICULTURE | PESTICIDES | SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS | NUTRITION INDEXES | BED NETS | Developing Countries | Africa, Eastern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Research Methodology | Cultural Background | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Parasitic Diseases | Diseases | Biology | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Ingredients and Chemicals | Nutrition | Health | Parasite Control | Public Health Document Number: 325879 |
| 22. Peer Reviewed Title: Effect of rice cultivation on malaria transmission in central Kenya. Author: Muturi EJ; Muriu S; Shililu J; Mwangangi J; Jacob BG Source: American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 2008 Feb;78(2):270-275. Abstract: A 12-month field study was conducted between April 2004 and March 2005 to determine the association between irrigated rice cultivation and malaria transmission in Mwea, Kenya. Adult mosquitoes were collected indoors twice per month in three villages representing non-irrigated, planned, and unplanned rice agro-ecosystems and screened for blood meal sources and Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite proteins. Anopheles arabiensis Patton and An. funestus Giles comprised 98.0% and 1.9%, respectively, of the 39,609 female anophelines collected. Other species including An. pharoensis Theobald, An. maculipalpis Giles, An. pretoriensis Theobald, An. coustani Laveran, and An. rufipes Gough comprised the remaining 0.1%. The density of An. arabiensis was highest in the planned rice village and lowest in the non-irrigated village and that of An. funestus was significantly higher in the non-irrigated village than in irrigated ones. The human blood index (HBI) for An. arabiensis was significantly higher in the non-irrigated village compared with irrigated villages. For An. funestus, the HBI for each village differed significantly from the others, being highest in the non-irrigated village and lowest in the planned rice village. The sporozoite rate and annual entomologic inoculation rate (EIR) for An. arabiensis was 1.1% and 3.0 infective bites per person, respectively with no significant difference among villages. Sporozoite positive An. funestus were detected only in planned rice and non-irrigated villages. Overall, 3.0% of An. funestus samples tested positive for Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites. The annual EIR of 2.21 for this species in the non-irrigated village was significantly higher than 0.08 for the planned rice village. We conclude that at least in Mwea Kenya, irrigated rice cultivation may reduce the risk of malaria transmission by An. funestus but has no effect on malaria transmission by An. arabiensis. The zoophilic tendency of malaria vectors in irrigated areas accounts partly for low malaria transmission rates despite the presence of higher vector densities, highlighting the potential of zooprophylaxis in malaria control. (author's) Language: English Keywords: KENYA | RESEARCH REPORT | FIELD REPORT | VECTOR CONTROL | MALARIA | TRANSMISSION | RISK FACTORS | AGRICULTURE | ENVIRONMENT | Developing Countries | Africa, Eastern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Disease Transmission Control | Prevention and Control | Diseases | Parasitic Diseases | Infections | Biology | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors Document Number: 324399 |
| 23. Title: Land use change and population growth in the Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea between 1975 and 2000. Author: Ningal T; Hartemink AE; Bregt AK Source: Journal of Environmental Management. 2008 Apr;87(1):117-124. Abstract: The relation between human population growth and land use change is much debated. Here we present a case study from Papua New Guinea where the population has increased from 2.3 million in 1975 to 5.2 million in 2000. Since 85% of the population relies on subsistence agriculture, population growth affects agricultural land use. We assessed land use change in the Morobe province (33,933km/2) using topographic maps of 1975 and Landsat TM images of 1990 and 2000. Between 1975 and 2000, agricultural land use increased by 58% and population grew by 99%. Most new agricultural land was taken from primary forest and the forest area decreased from 9.8 ha person/-1 in 1975 to 4.4 ha person/-1 in 2000. Total population change and total land use change were strongly correlated. Most of the agricultural land use change occurred on Inceptisols in areas with high rainfall (greater than 2500mm year/-1) on moderate to very steep slopes (10-56%). Agricultural land use changes in logged-over areas were in the vicinity of populated places (villages), and in close proximity to road access. There was considerable variation between the districts but districts with higher population growth also had larger increases in agricultural areas. It is concluded that in the absence of improved farming systems the current trend of increased agriculture with rapid population growth is likely to continue. (author's) Language: English Keywords: PAPUA NEW GUINEA | ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICTS | RESEARCH REPORT | LONGITUDINAL STUDIES | POPULATION | POPULATION GROWTH | LAND AND RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT | AGRICULTURE | FORESTS | HUMAN GEOGRAPHY | GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS | AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT | ECOLOGY | ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION | Developing Countries | Oceania | Studies | Research Methodology | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Rural Development | Economic Factors | Macroeconomic Factors | Natural Resources | Environment | Geography | Social Sciences | Science | Sociocultural Factors Document Number: 324752 |
| 24. Title: Lead poisoning associated with malaria in children of urban areas of Nigeria. Author: Nriagu J; Afeiche M; Linder A; Arowolo T; Ana G; Sridhar MK; Oloruntoba EO; Obi E; Ebenebe JC; Orisakwe OE; Adesina A Source: International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. 2008 Oct;211(5-6):591-605. Abstract: The principal objectives of this study are to (a) investigate the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels (EBLLs) in children of three major cities of Nigeria with different levels of industrial pollution; (b) identify the environmental, social and behavioral risk factors for the EBLLs in the children; and (c) explore the association between malaria (endemic in the study areas) and EBLLs in the pediatric population. The study involved 653 children aged 2-9 years (average, 3.7 years). The mean blood lead level (BLL) for the children was 8.9+/-4.8microg/dL, the median value was 7.8microg/dL, and the range was 1-52microg/dL. About 25% of the children had BLL greater than 10microg/dL. There were important differences in BLLs across the three cities, with the average value in Ibadan (9.9+/-5.2microg/dL) and Nnewi (8.3+/-3.5microg/dL) being higher than that in Port Harcourt (4.7+/-2.2micro/dL). Significant positive associations were found between BLL and a child's town of residence (p<0.001), age of the child (p=0.004), length of time the child played outside (p<0.001), presence of pets in a child's home (p=0.023), but negatively with educational level of caregiver (p<0.001). This study is one of the first to find a significant negative association between BLL and malaria in a pediatric population, and this association remained significant after controlling for confounding diseases and symptoms. The shared environmental and socio-demographic risks factors for lead exposure and Plasmodium (most common malaria parasites) infection in urban areas of Nigeria are discussed along with possible ways that lead exposure may influence the host response to infection with malarial parasites. Language: English Keywords: NIGERIA | RESEARCH REPORT | URBAN AREAS | CHILDREN | TOXICITY | MALARIA | BLOOD | PARASITES | AGRICULTURE | ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION | POISON | METALS | EXPOSURE | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Geographic Factors | Population | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Physiology | Biology | Parasitic Diseases | Diseases | Hemic System | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Environmental Degradation | Environment | Vitamins and Minerals | Risk Factors Document Number: 330222 |
| 25. Title: Change and continuity in a pastoralist community in the high Peruvian Andes. Author: Postigo JC; Young KR; Crews KA Source: Human Ecology. 2008 Aug;36(4):535-551. Abstract: Pastoralists of the high Andes Mountains raise mixed herds of camelids and sheep. This study evaluates the land use of herdsmen who are confronted by both socioeconomic and climate changes in Huancavelica, central Peru. Land use/ land cover change (LULCC) was measured through satellite imagery, and pastoralists' capacity to adapt to socioenvironmental changes was evaluated through interviews and archival research. The most dynamic LULCCs between 1990 and 2000 were large increases in wetlands and a loss of permanent ice. We conclude that the people's responses to these changes will depend on availability of institutions to manage pastures, other household resources, and perceptions of these biophysical changes. Socioenvironmental change is not new in the study area, but current shifts will likely force this community to alter its rules of access to pastures, its economic rationales in regards to commodities produced, and the degree of dependence on seasonal wage labor. In this scenario, households with a greater amount of livestock will fare better in terms of assets and capital that will allow them to benefit from the increasing presence of a market economy in a landscape undergoing climate change. (author's) Language: English Keywords: PERU | RESEARCH REPORT | QUALITATIVE RESEARCH | QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH | RURAL POPULATION | AGRICULTURAL WORKERS | LAND SUPPLY | LAND TENURE | LAND AND RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT | AGRICULTURE | CLIMATE | ECONOMIC FACTORS | South America, Western | South America | Latin America | Americas | Developing Countries | Research Methodology | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Labor Force | Human Resources | Natural Resources | Environment | Socioeconomic Factors | Rural Development | Macroeconomic Factors Document Number: 327976 |
| 26. Peer Reviewed Title: Brazil's progress in achieving the millennium development goals. Author: Rondo PH Source: Journal of Tropical Pediatrics. 2008 Aug;54(4):217-9. Abstract: The Government of Brazil has been attaching great importance to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals-(MDGs). Three National Monitoring Reports have been produced, based on detailed official data of these goals, as a partnership between the Brazilian Government and the agencies comprising the United Nations System in the country. The Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA) and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), both linked to the Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management, were responsible for the selection and analysis of the indicators used, coordination of the thematic groups and consolidation of the final text of the reports. In this article, particularly, we will focus on the 1st MDG. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: BRAZIL | SUMMARY REPORT | GOALS | POVERTY | FAMINE | MALNUTRITION | FOOD SECURITY | AGRICULTURE | NUTRITION INDEXES | INCOME GENERATION PROGRAMS | Developing Countries | South America, Eastern | South America | Latin America | Americas | Planning | Organization and Administration | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Food Supply | Natural Resources | Environment | Nutrition Disorders | Diseases | Macroeconomic Factors | Nutrition | Health | Economic Development Document Number: 328403 |
| 27. Peer Reviewed Title: Potential impacts of iron biofortification in India. Author: Stein AJ; Meenakshi JV; Qaim M; Nestel P; Sachdev HP Source: Social Science and Medicine. 2008 Apr;66(8):1797-1808. Abstract: Iron deficiency is a widespread nutrition and health problem in developing countries, causing impairments in physical activity and cognitive development, as well as maternal mortality. Although food fortification and supplementation programmes have been effective in some countries, their overall success remains limited. Biofortification, that is, breeding food crops for higher micronutrient content, is a relatively new approach, which has been gaining international attention recently. We propose a methodology for ex ante impact assessment of iron biofortification, building on a disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) framework. This methodology is applied in an Indian context. Using a large and representative data set of household food consumption, the likely effects of iron-rich rice and wheat varieties are simulated for different target groups and regions. These varieties, which are being developed by an international public research consortium, based on conventional breeding techniques, might beready for local distribution within the next couple of years. The results indicate sizeable potential health benefits. Depending on the underlying assumptions, the disease burden associated with iron deficiency could be reduced by 19-58%. Due to the relatively low institutional cost to reach the target population, the expected cost-effectiveness of iron biofortification compares favourably with other micronutrient interventions. Nonetheless, biofortification should not be seen as a substitute for other interventions. Each approach has its particular strengths, so they complement one another. (author's) Language: English Keywords: INDIA | THEORETICAL STUDIES | METHODOLOGICAL STUDIES | THEORETICAL MODELS | IRON | DEFICIENCY DISEASES | FOOD SUPPLEMENTATION | FOOD SUPPLY | NUTRITION | AGRICULTURE | COST EFFECTIVENESS | INTERVENTIONS | Developing Countries | Asia, Southern | Asia | Research Methodology | Metals | Vitamins and Minerals | Physiology | Biology | Nutrition Disorders | Diseases | Nutrition Programs | Primary Health Care | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Natural Resources | Environment | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Evaluation Indexes | Quantitative Evaluation | Evaluation | Programs | Organization and Administration Document Number: 325441 |
| 28. Peer Reviewed Title: Population challenges for Bangladesh in the coming decades. Author: Streatfield PK; Karar ZA Source: Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition. 2008 Sep;26(3):261-72. Abstract: Bangladesh currently has a population approaching 150 million and will add another 100 million before stabilizing, unless fertility can soon drop below replacement level. This level of fertility decline will require a change in marriage patterns, which have been minimal so far, even with increasing female schooling. It would also benefit from a long-awaited shift to long-term contraception. In addition to the consequence of huge population size, the density of population is already five times that of any other 'mega' country (> 100 million), a very challenging situation for an agricultural society. Most of the future growth will be urban, increasingly in slums. Numbers of young people will not increase, but numbers of older people will increase 10-fold this century, creating a large burden on the health system, especially for chronic illnesses. High density of population means that agricultural land is virtually saturated, with very limited capacity to expand food production. Climate change may have dramatic impacts on agriculture, through flooding and drought resulting from weather changes and geopolitical influences on transborder rivers. Rising sea-levels and consequent salinity will affect crops and require shifts to alternative land use. Serious long-term planning is needed for meeting the growing needs of the population, both for distribution and consumption. Language: English Keywords: BANGLADESH | CRITIQUE | DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS | POPULATION | POPULATION PROJECTION | MARRIAGE PATTERNS | BELOW REPLACEMENT FERTILITY | CONTRACEPTION | POPULATION DENSITY | URBANIZATION | DEMOGRAPHIC AGING | CLIMATE | AGRICULTURE | Developing Countries | Asia, Southern | Asia | Research Methodology | Estimation Techniques | Marriage | Nuptiality | Demographic Factors | Population Decrease | Population Dynamics | Family Planning | Population Distribution | Geographic Factors | Urban Population Distribution | Environment | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors Document Number: 328892 |
| 29. Title: Civil war, crop failure, and child stunting. Author: Akresh R; Verwimp P; Bundervoet T Source: [Unpublished] 2007. Presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America, New York, New York, March 29-31, 2007. 33 p. Abstract: Economic shocks at birth have lasting impacts on children's health several years after the shock. We calculate height for age z-scores for children under age five using data from a Rwandan nationally representative household survey conducted in 1992. We exploit district and time variation in crop failure and civil conflict to measure the impact of exogenous shocks that children experience at birth on their height several years later. We find that boys and girls born after the shock in regions experiencing civil conflict are both negatively impacted with height for age z-scores 0.30 and 0.72 standard deviations lower, respectively. Conversely, only girls are negatively impacted by crop failure with these girls exhibiting 0.41 standard deviations lower height for age z-scores and the impact is worse for girls in poor households. Results are robust to using sibling difference estimators, household level production, and rainfall shocks as alternative measures of crop failure. (author's) Language: English Keywords: RWANDA | RESEARCH REPORT | SURVEYS | RURAL POPULATION | CHILD HEALTH | AGRICULTURE | WAR | FAMINE | CHILD DEVELOPMENT | ECONOMIC CONDITIONS | NUTRITION INDEXES | Developing Countries | Africa, Central | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Health | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Food Supply | Natural Resources | Environment | Biology | Nutrition Document Number: 318548 |
| 30. Title: How much did property rights matter? Understanding food insecurity in Zimbabwe: A critique of Richardson. Author: Andersson JA Source: African Affairs. 2007 Oct;106(425):681-690. Abstract: Zimbabwe's current crisis arguably constitutes one of Africa's most contentious issues. What once appeared to be a thriving economy exporting maize to neighbouring countries has turned, in the course of a few years, into a country facing recurrent food shortages. Craig Richardson's recent article in African Affairs explores the collapse of Zimbabwe's economy from an economic perspective, linking annual rainfall figures to GDP growth. He finds that, in this agriculture-dominated economy, 'sudden changes in government policy', rather than drought conditions, are responsible for the recent break of the relation between these two variables. Richardson sees government's 'expropriation of commercial farmland' in 2000 as 'the most important reason for the economy's collapse',1 exemplifying a popular, but problematic, perspective on Zimbabwe's economic crisis. Characteristic of this perspective is its focus on the post-2000 collapse and the tendency to blame all of Zimbabwe's economic ills on recent government policy. This article seeks to counter this kind of short-term cause and effect reductionism: first, because it thrives at the expense of an historically informed understanding of the underlying causes of crisis and government reaction (however malevolent such reactions may have been), and second, because it might contribute to undue optimism for a post-Mugabe era and, possibly, ill-informed policy formulation. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: ZIMBABWE | HISTORICAL REVIEW | GOVERNMENT | AGRICULTURAL WORKERS | LAND TENURE | FOOD SECURITY | ECONOMIC FACTORS | SOCIAL POLICY | CLIMATE | AGRICULTURE | Developing Countries | Africa, Southern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Labor Force | Human Resources | Socioeconomic Factors | Food Supply | Natural Resources | Environment | Policy | Macroeconomic Factors Document Number: 321892 |
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