Development of Bioinformatics Infrastructure for Genomics Research in H3Africa

Background: Although pockets of bioinformatics excellence have developed in Africa, generally, large-scale genomic data analysis has been limited by the availability of expertise and infrastructure. H3ABioNet, a pan-African bioinformatics network, was established to build capacity specifically to enable H3Africa (Human Heredity and Health in Africa) researchers to analyze their data in Africa. Since the inception of the H3Africa initiative, H3ABioNet’s role has evolved in response to changing needs from the consortium and the African bioinformatics community. Objectives: H3ABioNet set out to develop core bioinformatics infrastructure and capacity for genomics research in various aspects of data collection, transfer, storage, and analysis. Methods and Results: Various resources have been developed to address genomic data management and analysis needs of H3Africa researchers and other scientific communities on the continent. NetMap was developed and used to build an accurate picture of network performance within Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world, and Globus Online has been rolled out to facilitate data transfer. A participant recruitment database was developed to monitor participant enrollment, and data is being harmonized through the use of ontologies and controlled vocabularies. The standardized metadata will be integrated to provide a search facility for H3Africa data and biospecimens. Because H3Africa projects are generating large-scale genomic data, facilities for analysis and interpretation are critical. H3ABioNet is implementing several data analysis platforms that provide a large range of bioinformatics tools or workflows, such as Galaxy, the Job Management System, and eBiokits. A set of reproducible, portable, and cloud-scalable pipelines to support the multiple H3Africa data types are also being developed and dockerized to enable execution on multiple computing infrastructures. In addition, new tools have been developed for analysis of the uniquely divergent African data and for downstream interpretation of prioritized variants. To provide support for these and other bioinformatics queries, an online bioinformatics helpdesk backed by broad consortium expertise has been established. Further support is provided by means of various modes of bioinformatics training. Conclusions: For the past 4 years, the development of infrastructure support and human capacity through H3ABioNet, have significantly contributed to the establishment of African scientific networks, data analysis facilities, and training programs. Here, we describe the infrastructure and how it has affected genomics and bioinformatics research in Africa

Reporting on the Seminar - Risk interpretation and action (RIA): Decision making under conditions of uncertainty

The paper reports on the World Social Science (WSS) Fellows seminar on Risk Interpretation and Action (RIA), undertaken in New Zealand in December, 2013. This seminar was coordinated by the WSS Fellows program of the International Social Science Council (ISSC), the RIA working group of the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) program, the IRDR International Center of Excellence Taipei, the International START Secretariat and the Royal Society of New Zealand. Twenty-five early career researchers from around the world were selected to review the RIA framework under the theme of \u27decision-making under conditions of uncertainty\u27, and develop novel theoretical approaches to respond to and improve this framework. Six working groups emerged during the seminar: 1. the assessment of water-related risks in megacities; 2. rethinking risk communication; 3. the embodiment of uncertainty; 4. communication in resettlement and reconstruction phases; 5. the integration of indigenous knowledge in disaster risk reduction; and 6. multi-scale policy implementation for natural hazard risk reduction. This article documents the seminar and initial outcomes from the six groups organized; and concludes with the collective views of the participants on the RIA framework

Food importation and agricultural development in Nigeria: Whither rural development?

No country can ever develop without integrated rural structures. Unfortunately, rural areas in Nigeria today are usually ghost areas as nearly all the youths have out-migrated, elderly neglected and agriculture has been traded off. The rural areas that used to accommodate over 70 percent of Nigerians has failed in this regard and agriculture that used to employ over 70 percent of Nigerians and used to provide over 70 percent of the foreign exchange earnings of Nigeria has collapsed. Nigeria that used to feed other nations can now not feed itself as it is now one of the biggest importers of food, most of which it can produce and even export. Nigeria spent at least N64 billion on food import in 2010. As at third quarter of 2011, the country has spent N635 billion on the importation of wheat; N356 billion on rice; N217 billion on sugar and N97 billion on fish imports. On the average, Nigeria spends about N1.8 billion on wheat and N1 billion on rice importations daily. Regardless of these huge amounts, at least 53 million Nigerians (about 30 percent) still go hungry while about 90 percent live in poverty of under $2 a day, most being rural dwellers. A dangerous flip side of the rural and agricultural downward trajectories is policy gaps. Thus, this paper explores the contours of food importation, agricultural positions, related policy challenges and implications for sustainable rural development in Nigeria. Strong analytical frameworks were deployed; recommendations made just as reliable conclusions were reached

Trado-modern medicine and growth in Nigeria: consequences of innovative processes’ adoption

Traditional medicine is becoming increasingly popular across the world. However, its growth potentials have been understudied and poorly appreciated due to existing global political economy of health and many surrounding informal processes. This article therefore investigated the developments of traditional medicine in Nigeria as it appropriates conventional and modern innovative (unconventional) infrastructures to enhance effectiveness, acceptance and growth. Traditional medicine is very critical for growth given its widespread use in developing societies somewhat leading to its increasing capacity to contribute to growth and development in Africa against the backdrop of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hence, better understanding of the trajectories of traditional medicine in a Megacity of Africa is important to enhance policy and practice for possible achievement of the SDGs in Africa. The end product of adoption of innovative modern processes in the preparation, packaging, marketing, distribution and utilization of traditional medicine were explored and described as Trado-modern Medicine in this article. The study was conducted in Nigeria. Primary and secondary data were collected. While secondary data were gathered through learned articles, newspaper clippings, official unclassified documents and so on, ethnographic and survey research approaches were adopted in primary data collection- through In-depth Interviews (IDIs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and questionnaires. Many findings were made, among them; Trado-modern medicine is, in some ways, contributing to development, health care, job creation, economic activities, growth and development in Nigeria and Africa. Valid conclusions were reached and sustainable recommendations given in the article.Keywords: Trado-modern Medicine, Development, Growth, Lagos, Nigeria

Context of abuse against men: Perspectives on causes, consequences and coping mechanisms

Background: Opinions on gender abuse have been largely skewed towards females. However, the rising number of cases of abuses against the male gender has brought the need to seek better understanding on the different background contexts and conditions surrounding the abuses against men in Nigeria.Data Source and Methods: This article was based on a cross-sectional study on abuse against men through quantitative and qualitative methods. It examined perspectives on causes, consequences and coping mechanisms relative to abuse against men in urban Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.Results: Findings suggest that various forces at individual, familial, cultural, urbanization, westernization and globalization levels drive abuse against men and men cope with the abuse through avoidance, divorce, resignation, adjustment and religion.Conclusion: Findings suggest that various forces at individual, familial, cultural, urbanization, westernization and globalization levels drive abuse against men and men cope with the abuse through avoidance, divorce, resignation, adjustment and religion

Strategies against poverty : designs from the North and alternatives from the South

This book presents the contributions of African and Latin American experts on economic development to the seminar Strategies against poverty: Designs from the North and Alternatives from the South organized by the Conferencia Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, CLACSO, the Comparative Research Programme on Poverty, CROP and the South- South Exchange Programme for Research on the History of development, SEPHIS. The purpose of the seminar was to open space for debate, from a historical perspective, alternative theoretical approaches on the causes of poverty and to explore the, sometimes diverging, strategies to its eradication as proposed by the North, donors and multilateral organizations, and by the South, governments and non-governmental organizations. The particular interest in studying poverty in the context of developing countries, often called the South, is to show the profound socio-economic inequalities existing in these countries and the problems that result when the programs structured to mitigate poverty are, in too many cases, a mere incorporation to local scenarios of the universal policies, from international and funding agencies. These programs made with the idea that one size fits all, ignore the needs, priorities and realities of individual countries and regions and only meet the North´s neoliberal paradigms. There is no need to stress the relevance of comparative analysis of the effects of colonial and neo-colonial powers to understand the factors constraining economic growth in developing countries. The works presented in this volume constitute one step in the direction of finding both, similar problems and akin solutions and to envision policies that respond to local and national history, conditions and priorities.Introduction. Looking Proper Answers in African, Latin American and Caribbean Countries / Samwel Ongwen Okuro and Alicia Puyana Mutis. First Part: Theoretical Alternatives for a Comprehensive Analysis of Anti-Poverty Strategies. 1.1. Neoliberal and Neo-Colonial Governmentality: Social Policies and Strategies against Poverty from the North and Alternatives from the South The Case of South America and the Caribbean / Sonia Álvarez Leguizamón. 1.2. Public Investment for Economic Development and Poverty Reduction: Theoretical and Empirical analysis / Cristina Fróes de Borja Reis. 1.3. Economic Growth, Employment and Poverty Reduction: A Comparative Analysis of Chile and Mexico with References to Argentina, Brazil and Colombia / Alicia Puyana Mutis. Second Part: Poverty Diagnosis from the South. 2.1. Social Policy in the Neoliberal Order: Conditional Cash Transfer Programmes as Mechanisms of political Legitimacy in Latin America / Andrés García Trujillo. 2.2. Ownership Question and Poverty Reduction Strategy in Nigeria: What Has Gone Wrong? / Eugene Ndubuisi Nweke. Third Part: Proposals to Alternative Policy Designs for Poverty Eradication. 3.1. Structural Adjustment and the Neglect of Intergenerational Poverty in the Caribbean / Dennis A. V. Brown. 3.2. Poverty Reduction in Ghana: Alternative Solutions by the State / John Gasu. 3.3. Fighting the Poverty War: Non-Governmental Organisations and the Challenge of Poverty eradication in Nigeria / Akinpelu O. Olutayo & Olayinka Akanle. 3.4. Rethinking World Bank Driven Land Tenure Reforms in Kenya / Samwel Ongwen Okuro. 3.5. The Macroeconomic Limits of Incomes Policy in a Dependent Country: The Need and Possibilities for Radical Reforms in Social Policies in Argentina after the Crisis (2001-2008)/ Mariano Féliz. 3.6. State Failure, Poverty and Productive Structure / Erik S. Reinert, Rainer Kattel and Yves Ekoué Amaïzo