Gender differentials in the determinants of usage of climate change adaptation strategies in farming communities of Ekiti and Ogun States, Southwest Nigeria

The use of adaptation strategies remains the only approach to reduce and combat the effects posed by climate change all over the world. We explored the extent of usage of adaptation strategies by farmers in Ekiti and Ogun States. 358 men and 222 women farmers were surveyed using multi-stage procedure. We employed semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussions to collect data from the respondents. The data were analysed descriptively and presented in percentages and frequency counts. The data were further subjected to Chisquare, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation, t-test, multiple linear regression analysis and Explorative Factor Analysis (EFA). The findings revealed that the majority of men (99.7%) and women farmers (96.8%) perceived to adapt to climate change. Men (= 2.29) relative to women (= 2.33) used more on-farm adaptation strategies. The strongest determinant of usage of climate change adaptation strategies by men farmers was climate change adaptation barriers (t = 5.13, p < 0.01), while for women farmers, climate change experience (t = 7.42, p < 0.01) was the strongest determinant. The promotion of gender-sensitive approaches to climate change adaptation that cater for the needs of men and women farmers is highly essential to enhance adaptation among them

Empowerment of women in Nigeria’s small-scale fisheries: a tool to sustainability

In Nigeria, women play major roles of at least 75% in the fisheries and aquaculture value- chains from production, processing, storage, marketing and trade. Unlike the men, women have not received commensurate levels of attention and empowerment largely because their roles are perceived as ‘invisible’, poorly evaluated and undocumented without substantial sex-disaggregated data as proof. For these reasons above and in furtherance of identifying key areas in which empowerment needs to be strengthened thus closing the gender gap, this study was undertaken to contribute to information on the nature and empowerment of women and the factors influencing their participation in the small-scale fisheries. The study also aimed at determining relationship between the extent of the women’s empowerment and some selected determinants using a cumulative empowerment index (CEI). A mix of transdisciplinary, quantitative and qualitative methods was used for this study in Ikosi in Agbowa and Igboolomi fishing communities of Epe and Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Areas of Lagos State respectively. Ten indicators of empowerment : contribution to household income, decision making ability, spending ability, ownership of assets, access to resources, membership in economic or social groups, time allocated to household, productive tasks and leisure activities, coping capacity to household shocks and political awareness were chosen for this purpose. Results obtained in this study showed that women are still very low in the CEI and it is hoped that this will pave way for a strategic framework for including gender –responsiveness in policies and developmental planning

Cost-per-diagnosis as a metric for monitoring cost effectiveness of HIV testing programmes in low income settings in southern Africa : health economic and modelling analysis

Introduction: As prevalence of undiagnosed HIV declines, it is unclear whether testing programmes will be cost effective. To guide their HIV testing programmes,countries require appropriatemetrics that can be measured. The cost-per-diagnosisis potentially a useful metric. Methods:We simulated a series of setting-scenarios for adult HIV epidemics and ART programmes typical of settings in southern Africa using an individual-based model and projected forward from 2018 under two policies: (i) a minimum package of “core” testing (i.e. testing in pregnant women, for diagnosis of symptoms, in sex workers, and in men coming forward for circumcision) is conducted, and (ii) “core” testing as above plus “additional-testing”, for which we specify different rates of testing and various degrees to which those with HIV are more likely to test than thosewithout HIV. We also considered a plausible range of unit test costs. The aim was to assess the relationship between cost-per-diagnosisand the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio(ICER) of the additional-testingpolicy. Discount rate 3%; costs in 2018 $US. Results:There was a strong graded relationship between the cost-per-diagnosisand the ICER. Overall, the ICERwas below$500 per-DALY-averted (the cost effectiveness threshold used in primary analysis) so long as thecost-per-diagnosiswas below $315. This thresholdcost-per-diagnosiswas similar according to epidemic and programmatic features including the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV, the HIV incidence and a measure of HIV programme quality (the proportion of HIV diagnosed people having a viral load <1000 copies/mL). However, restrictingto women, additional-testingdid not appear cost-effective even at acost-per-diagnosisof below$50, while restrictingto men additional-testingwas cost effective up to a cost-per-diagnosisof $585. Thethreshold cost for testing in men fell to$256 when the cost effectiveness threshold was $300instead of$500, and to $81 when considering a discount rate of 10% perannum.Conclusions:For testing programmesin low income settings in southern African there is an extremely strong relationship between the cost-per-diagnosisand the cost per DALY averted, indicating that the cost-per-diagnosiscan be used to monitor the cost effectiveness of testing programmes

Guidelines for the establishment and functioning of Animal Ethics Commitees (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees) in Africa.

Animals are used for scientific purposes across Africa to benefit humans, animals or the environment. Nonetheless, ethical and regulatory oversight remains limited in many parts of the continent. To strengthen this governance framework, the Pan-African Network for Laboratory Animal Science and Ethics brought together experts from 12 African countries to create an Africa-centric practical guide to facilitate the establishment and appropriate functioning of Institutional Animal Ethics Committees across Africa. The Guidelines are based on universal principles for the care and use of sentient animals for scientific purposes, with consideration of the cultural, religious, political and socio-economic diversity in Africa. They focus on 11 key elements, including responsibilities of institutions and of the Institutional Official; composition of the Committee; its responsibilities, functioning and authority; ethical application and review processes; oversight and monitoring of animal care and use and of training and competence; quality assurance; and the roles of other responsible parties. The intent is for African institutions to adopt and adapt the guidelines, aligning with existing national legislation and standards where relevant, thus ensuring incorporation into practice. More broadly, the Guidelines form an essential component of the growing discourse in Africa regarding moral considerations of, and appropriate standards for, the care and use of animals for scientific purposes. The increased establishment of appropriately functioning animal ethics committees and robust ethical review procedures across Africa will enhance research quality and culture, strengthen societal awareness of animals as sentient beings, improve animal well-being, bolster standards of animal care and use, and contribute to sustainable socio-economic development

Building leaders for the UN Ocean Science Decade : a guide to supporting early career women researchers within academic marine research institutions

Diverse and inclusive marine research is paramount to addressing ocean sustainability challenges in the 21st century, as envisioned by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Despite increasing efforts to diversify ocean science, women continue to face barriers at various stages of their career, which inhibits their progression to leadership within academic institutions. In this perspective, we draw on the collective experiences of thirty-four global women leaders, bolstered by a narrative review, to identify practical strategies and actions that will help empower early career women researchers to become the leaders of tomorrow. We propose five strategies: (i) create a more inclusive culture, (ii) ensure early and equitable career development opportunities for women ECRs, (iii) ensure equitable access to funding for women ECRs, (iv) offer mentoring opportunities and, (v) create flexible, family-friendly environments. Transformational, meaningful, and lasting change will only be achieved through commitment and collaborative action across various scales and by multiple stakeholders.Peer reviewe

HIV testing within general practices in Europe : A mixed-methods systematic review

Funding Information: This work was supported by IWT (Belgium) and the ANRS (France) through the framework of HIVERA JTC 2014. Publisher Copyright: © 2018 The Author(s).Background: Late diagnosis of HIV infection remains a key challenge in Europe. It is acknowledged that general practitioners (GPs) may contribute greatly to early case finding, yet there is evidence that many diagnostic opportunities are being missed. To further promote HIV testing in primary care and to increase the utility of available research, the existing evidence has been synthesised in a systematic review adhering to the PRISMA guidelines. Methods: The databases PubMed, Scopus and Embase were searched for the period 2006-2017. Two authors judged independently on the eligibility of studies. Through a mixed-methods systematic review of 29 studies, we provide a description of HIV testing in general practices in Europe, including barriers and facilitators. Results: The findings of the study show that although various approaches to target patients are used by GPs, most tests are still carried out based on the patient's request. Several barriers obstruct HIV testing in general practice. Included are a lack of communication skills on sexual health, lack of knowledge about HIV testing recommendations and epidemic specificities, difficulties with using the complete list of clinical HIV indicator diseases and lack of experience in delivering and communicating test results. The findings also suggest that the provision of specific training, practical tools and promotion programmes has an impact on the testing performance of GPs. Conclusions: GPs could have an increased role in provider-initiated HIV-testing for early case finding. To achieve this objective, solutions to the reported barriers should be identified and testing criteria adapted to primary healthcare defined. Providing guidance and training to better identify priority groups for HIV testing, as well as information on the HIV epidemic's characteristics, will be fundamental to increasing awareness and testing by GPs.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Building leaders for the UN Ocean Science Decade: a guide to supporting early career women researchers within academic marine research institutions

Diverse and inclusive marine research is paramount to addressing ocean sustainability challenges in the 21st century, as envisioned by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Despite increasing efforts to diversify ocean science, women continue to face barriers at various stages of their career, which inhibits their progression to leadership within academic institutions. In this perspective, we draw on the collective experiences of thirty-four global women leaders, bolstered by a narrative review, to identify practical strategies and actions that will help empower early career women researchers to become the leaders of tomorrow. We propose five strategies: (i) create a more inclusive culture, (ii) ensure early and equitable career development opportunities for women ECRs, (iii) ensure equitable access to funding for women ECRs, (iv) offer mentoring opportunities and, (v) create flexible, family-friendly environments. Transformational, meaningful, and lasting change will only be achieved through commitment and collaborative action across various scales and by multiple stakeholders

Hepatitis B screening in the Turkish-Dutch population in Rotterdam, the Netherlands; qualitative assessment of socio-cultural determinants

Background. Hepatitis B is an important health problem in the Turkish community in the Netherlands. Increased voluntary screening is necessary in this community, to detect individuals eligible for treatment and to prevent further transmission of the disease. Methods. We investigated socio-cultural determinants associated with hepatitis B screening in male and female, first and second generation Turkish migrants, by means of Focus Group Discussions. Results. Socio-cultural themes related to hepatitis B screening were identified; these were social norm, social support, sensitivity regarding sexuality, reputation, responsiveness to authority, religious responsibility, cleanliness and religious doctrine regarding health and disease, and the perceived efficacy of Dutch health care services. Motivating factors were the (religious) responsibility for one's health, the perceived obligation when being invited for screening, and social support to get tested for hepatitis B. Perceived barriers were the association of hepatitis B screening with STDs or sexual activity, the perception of low control over one's health, and the perceived low efficacy of the Dutch health care services. Reputation could act as either a motivator or barrier. Conclusion. This study identified relevant socio-cultural themes related to hepatitis B screening, which may serve to customize interventions aimed at the promotion of voluntary hepatitis B screening in the Turkish-Dutch population in the Netherlands