The role of business manager attitudes and perceptions in driving climate change risk action in the agricultural sector in Uganda

Much is already known about climate change risk mitigation and adaptation globally. However, much needs to be done to make this knowledge cascaded down to a business manager in the agricultural sector in Uganda. This study aimed to understand the role of business manager perceptions and attitudes in influencing climate change risk action in business organizations in the agricultural sector in Uganda with its particular climatic, social and economic circumstances. An assessment was made of whether and how the climate change risk perceptions of business managers from 16 companies engaged in downstream agricultural processing differ from 15 managers engaged in commercial agricultural production in Uganda. The study utilized a phenomenological approach using comparative case study method. The respondents were selected purposively from managed agriculture processor and producer companies. It is believed that the study of perceptions and beliefs involves uncovering tacit knowledge, knowledge in the minds of managers which cannot easily be articulated and documented. The study therefore made use of George Kelly’s Personal Construct theory and its repertory grid analysis technique for data collection, a very useful tool for making tacit knowledge explicit. The study examined nine risks as elements for the repertory grid exploring how business managers perceive there risks and how such perceptions influence their climate change risk action in the agriculture sector in Uganda. The study also intended to identify if there are variations in climate change risk perception between the agriculture producers and processors in Uganda. The personal constructs generated from respondents during the grid interviews are the units of analysis. The results were analyzed using Content analysis, and Honey’s data analysis procedures. The results indicate that as long as business managers perceive climate change risks to have an effect on their business continuity or survival, their production capacities, their profitability, their marketing decisions, affect their cost of production, influence their investment decisions, there are available response options, and consider that they have the capacity to manage those risks, they will take immediate action to put in place strategies to respond to those climate change risks. There is no appreciable variation in climate change risk perception between producers and processors. The study results provide policy makers an opportunity to understand what concerns business owners along the agriculture value chain for them to respond to climate change risks and also informs business owners the areas of key concern that they have to reflect on as they consider climate change risk strategies

Uganda's experience in Ebola virus disease outbreak preparedness, 2018-2019.

BACKGROUND: Since the declaration of the 10th Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in DRC on 1st Aug 2018, several neighboring countries have been developing and implementing preparedness efforts to prevent EVD cross-border transmission to enable timely detection, investigation, and response in the event of a confirmed EVD outbreak in the country. We describe Uganda's experience in EVD preparedness. RESULTS: On 4 August 2018, the Uganda Ministry of Health (MoH) activated the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) and the National Task Force (NTF) for public health emergencies to plan, guide, and coordinate EVD preparedness in the country. The NTF selected an Incident Management Team (IMT), constituting a National Rapid Response Team (NRRT) that supported activation of the District Task Forces (DTFs) and District Rapid Response Teams (DRRTs) that jointly assessed levels of preparedness in 30 designated high-risk districts representing category 1 (20 districts) and category 2 (10 districts). The MoH, with technical guidance from the World Health Organisation (WHO), led EVD preparedness activities and worked together with other ministries and partner organisations to enhance community-based surveillance systems, develop and disseminate risk communication messages, engage communities, reinforce EVD screening and infection prevention measures at Points of Entry (PoEs) and in high-risk health facilities, construct and equip EVD isolation and treatment units, and establish coordination and procurement mechanisms. CONCLUSION: As of 31 May 2019, there was no confirmed case of EVD as Uganda has continued to make significant and verifiable progress in EVD preparedness. There is a need to sustain these efforts, not only in EVD preparedness but also across the entire spectrum of a multi-hazard framework. These efforts strengthen country capacity and compel the country to avail resources for preparedness and management of incidents at the source while effectively cutting costs of using a "fire-fighting" approach during public health emergencies