The roles of leadership and good governance in the security of Anambra state

Leadership as a process involves the interaction between the leader and the followers such that the leader influences the actions of the followers towards the achievement of certain objectives. It is in this light that leadership will be appreciated as a function of followership. There is always a synergy between purposeful leadership and good governance. Security of lives and property is often times a product of good governance. This paper examined the roles of leadership and good governance in the provision of security in Anambra state. The cross sectional survey design was adopted using the multi stage sampling technique for selection of study participants. 900 participants were drawn from the three senatorial zones of the state using the multistage sampling procedure and collated data were analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. However, relationships between variables were determined by the application of inferential statistics (chi square and regression analysis). The study found significant relationship between leadership roles and security of lives and property in Anambra state. Furthermore, good governance as a predictor of security was also found to be significant at p=.033. The study therefore recommended among others that leaders should be accountable, transparent, selfless and patriotic in the discharge of their duties.Key Words: Leadership, Governance, Security, Corruption and Anambra state

Peoples’ perception of mother-daughter sexual communication patterns and adolescent girls reproductive health in Enugu North LGA of Enugu State, Nigeria

In many African societies, sexual communication between female adolescents and their mothers is not openly encouraged because of the inherent culture of silence that surrounds sexuality. Sexual communication between mothers and their daughters has therefore remained a challenge and the consequences are that female adolescents become vulnerable to reproductive health problems such as teenage pregnancy, STDs, and HIV/AIDS. Although studies on adolescents mother- daughter sexual communication patterns in other parts of the world are widely reported in literature, very few research on the phenomenon exist in Enugu state, Nigeria. This study investigated peoples‘ perception of mother-daughter sexual communication pattern and adolescents reproductive health in Enugu state, Nigeria. The study is based on a survey of 294 respondents selected through the multi-stage sampling technique. The instruments used for data collection comprised of structured questionnaire and in-depth interview (IDI) guide. The findings among other things show that private face to face communication pattern on adolescents sexuality is adopted by majority of mothers in Enugu, Nigeria. However, this pattern is usually spontaneous and unplanned and takes place occasionally. Again, the discussions do not involve all the reproductive health issues as only a few,such as dangers of pre-marital sex, menstruation and physiological changes are mostly emphasized while the use of contraceptives is ignored. Based on the findings, systematic and effective use of face to face pattern of communication, improved sexual communication skills on sexuality education were recommended.Keywords: Sexuality, Adolescents, Sexual communication, Reproductive healt

The economic status of older people’s households in urban and rural settings in Peru, Mexico and China: a 10/66 INDEP study cross-sectional survey

Few data are available from middle income countries regarding economic circumstances of households in which older people live. Many such settings have experienced rapid demographic, social and economic change, alongside increasing pension coverage. Population-based household surveys in rural and urban catchment areas in Peru, Mexico and China. Participating households were selected from all households with older residents. Descriptive analyses were weighted back for sampling fractions and non-response. Household income and consumption were estimated from a household key informant interview. 877 Household interviews (3177 residents). Response rate 68 %. Household income and consumption correlated plausibly with other economic wellbeing indicators. Household Incomes varied considerably within and between sites. While multigenerational households were the norm, older resident’s incomes accounted for a high proportion of household income, and older people were particularly likely to pool income. Differences in the coverage and value of pensions were a major source of variation in household income among sites. There was a small, consistent inverse association between household pension income and labour force participation of younger adult co-residents. The effect of pension income on older adults’ labour force participation was less clear-cut. Historical linkage of social protection to formal employment may have contributed to profound late-life socioeconomic inequalities. Strategies to formalise the informal economy, alongside increases in the coverage and value of non-contributory pensions and transfers would help to address this problem

A cohort study of the effects of older adult care dependence upon household economic functioning, in Peru, Mexico and China

BACKGROUND: While links between disability and poverty are well established, there have been few longitudinal studies to clarify direction of causality, particularly among older adults in low and middle income countries. We aimed to study the effect of care dependence among older adult residents on the economic functioning of their households, in catchment area survey sites in Peru, Mexico and China. METHODS: Households were classified from the evolution of the needs for care of older residents, over two previous community surveys, as 'incident care', 'chronic care' or 'no care', and followed up three years later to ascertain economic outcomes (household income, consumption, economic strain, satisfaction with economic circumstances, healthcare expenditure and residents giving up work or education to care). RESULTS: Household income did not differ between household groups. However, income from paid work (Pooled Count Ratio pCR 0.88, 95% CI 0.78-1.00) and government transfers (pCR 0.80, 95% CI 0.69-0.93) were lower in care households. Consumption was 12% lower in chronic care households (pCR 0.88, 95% CI 0.77-0.99). Household healthcare expenditure was higher (pCR 1.55, 95% CI 1.26-1.90), and catastrophic healthcare spending more common (pRR 1.64, 95% CI 1.64-2.22) in care households. CONCLUSIONS: While endogeneity cannot be confidently excluded as an explanation for the findings, this study indicates that older people's needs for care have a discernable impact on household economics, controlling for baseline indicators of long-term economic status. Although living, typically, in multigenerational family units, older people have not featured prominently in global health and development agendas. Population ageing will rapidly increase the number of households where older people live, and their societal significance. Building sustainable long-term care systems for the future will require some combination of improved income security in old age; incentivisation of informal care through compensation for direct and opportunity costs; and development of community care services to support, and, where necessary, supplement or substitute the central role of informal caregivers

A journey without maps—Understanding the costs of caring for dependent older people in Nigeria, China, Mexico and Peru

Purpose of the study: Populations in Latin America, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are rapidly ageing. The extent to which traditional systems of family support and security can manage the care of increased numbers of older people with chronic health problems is unclear. Our aim was to explore the social and economic effects of caring for an older dependent person, including insight into pathways to economic vulnerability. Design & methods: We carried out a series of household case studies across urban and rural sites in Peru, Mexico, China and Nigeria (n = 24), as part of a cross-sectional study, nested within the 10/66 Dementia Research Group cohort. Case studies consisted of in-depth narrative style interviews (n = 60) with multiple family members, including the older dependent person. Results: Governments were largely uninvolved in the care and support of older dependent people, leaving families to negotiate a ‘journey without maps’. Women were de facto caregivers but the traditional role of female relative as caregiver was beginning to be contested. Household composition was flexible and responsive to changing needs of multiple generations but family finances were stretched. Implications: Governments are lagging behind sociodemographic and social change. There is an urgent need for policy frameworks to support and supplement inputs from families. These should include community-based and residential care services, disability benefits and carers allowances. Further enhancement of health insurance schemes and scale-up of social pensions are an important component of bolstering the security of dependent older people and supporting their continued social and economic participation

Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria: a public perception approach

This paper investigates the factors responsible for Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. The paper attempts to unravel why insurgency became pervasive in the northeastern region of the country and solutions were proffered on how to stop it. The theoretical thrust of this paper was anchored on Merton‟s theory of Anomie. In this paper, the researcher adopted the mixed method which involved the quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. Respondents for the quantitative method were selected using the snowball sampling technique. The questionnaire and key informant interviews were the instruments used for data collection. Several findings were made in the paper. It was discovered, among others, that religious, political, ethnic and economic factors coupled with corruption and influences from established terrorist organizations were the major factors responsible for the emergence of Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. The paper also found that insurgency can be eradicated through the use of military actions, re-orientating the insurgents and job creation. Based on the findings made in this paper, the researcher recommended robust intelligence gathering and multi-agency collaboration, among others, in the fight against the insurgency in Nigeria

Health and economic correlates of autonomy among older people in Peru, Mexico and China:The 10/66 INDEP study [version 1; peer review: 3 approved with reservations]

Background: While autonomy is highlighted as central to older people’s wellbeing, there has been little empirical research to inform a measurement approach, support construct validity, or establish its determinants. We aimed to study the health and economic correlates of self-perceived autonomy among community-dwelling older people in Peru, Mexico and China, using a hypothesis-driven approach. Methods: Cross-sectional household surveys in urban and rural catchment areas in each country, comprising household, informant, and older person interviews, to elicit household income and older residents’ autonomy, unmet needs, and quality of life. Households, all with older residents, were selected from previous waves of the 10/66 Dementia Research Group’s comprehensive surveys of ageing and health. Results: Among 937 older respondents in 754 households, diminished autonomy was associated with older age, marital status, lower education, and lower household income. Physical, cognitive and mental morbidities, functional impairment and dependence were strongly and independently associated with diminished autonomy, explaining the effect of age. Controlling for these variables, an older person’s current total income was inversely associated with diminished autonomy (Count Ratio per fifth of total income 0.86, 95% CI 0.81-0.91). Autonomy was positively correlated with wellbeing and life satisfaction, supporting construct validity. Counter to hypotheses, less autonomy was associated with fewer unmet needs in rural sites. Conclusions: The effects of income insecurity, disability and dependence upon autonomy should be tested prospectively to confirm causal direction. Social pensions, and measures to support the rights of frail and dependent older people may be effective policy instruments for promoting autonomy. While the negative impact of diminished autonomy upon older people’s welfare is supported, the association in rural sites between more autonomy and more unmet needs should be further investigated; efforts to promote autonomy may need careful cultural nuancing, to support rather than subvert traditional family care systems.</ns4:p

Exploring the economic and social effects of care dependence in later life:protocol for the 10/66 research group INDEP study

In low or middle income countries chronic diseases are rapidly becoming the main cause of disease burden. However, the main focus of health policymakers has been on preventing death from cancer and heart disease, with very little attention to the growing problem of long-term needs for care (dependence). Numbers of dependent older people are set to quadruple by 2050. The economic impact of providing long-term care is likely to be substantial

Trajectories and costs of caring for a dependent older person.

<p>Trajectories and costs of caring for a dependent older person.</p