The impact of regional liberalization and harmonization in road transport services : a focus on Zambia and lessons for landlocked countries

Based on a detailed empirical study, this paper argues that regional liberalization of trucking services has had an important effect on transport costs and tariffs for Zambia's economy. Zambia is a peculiar example in Southern Africa as it benefits from relatively low transport costs compared with other landlocked countries in Africa. This is mainly because of competition between Zambian and other regional, mainly South African, operators and because of South African investments in Zambia's trucking industry. As a result, the costs of operators registered in Zambia and South Africa are similar. The study also demonstrates that enhancing trucking interoperability in Southern Africa would significantly impact positively the Zambian trucking industry's competitiveness. The main measures to significantly increase trucking competitiveness in the region would more likely derive from reducing fuel costs in Zambia, improving border-post operations, and relaxing South African truck import rules.Transport Economics Policy&Planning,Rural Roads&Transport,Roads&Highways,Common Carriers Industry,Transport and Trade Logistics

Workshop: Innovation in Global Health

Vaccination is considered the most successful healthcare initiative in disease prevention, but achieving universal coverage is still beyond reach. According to the WHO, 19.4million did not receive routine life-saving vaccinations in 2018 – many of them children. To address this issue, research from both academia and industry partners are required to provide innovative solutions to problems in Global Health. This workshop will focus on the needs for the Global Health community and will be sub-divided into two sessions. The first session will provide examples of innovative solutions for persons in low and middle income countries, that seek to aid the development, distribution and uptake of vaccines in these very low cost markets. The second session will give contextual information of funding priorities and what funds are available to researchers interested in contributing to this valuable area. Please click Download on the upper right corner to see the full description. Please click Additional File below for the presentation

At fotografere håbet. Joakim Eskildsens værker

”Håbets fotograf” blev Joakim Eskildsen kaldt i Information juni 2015. Det var kunstkritikeren Rune Gade, der med dette udtryk satte fingeren på den optimisme, som karakteriserer kunstneren Eskildsens billeder. Ordene faldt i en anmeldelse af Det Nationale Fotomuseums udstilling “En verden jeg kan tro på”, og anmeldelsen var illustreret med et smukt fotografi af to børn på vej ud fra skyggen under et træ. Børnene har ryggen til fotografen, der betragter dem fra sin position inde under træet, hvis grene hænger helt til jorden. Lyset spiller i de tynde forårsblade i tusindvis af grønne nuancer, og de to børn løfter bladhanget til side, så de kan træde ud i solen med hinanden. Fotografiet er fra Eskildsens serie Home Works. Det er en parafrase over W. Eugene Smiths berømte fotografi “The Walk to Paradise Garden”, der på en næsten identisk måde viser to børn på vej ud i en lysning hånd i hånd.  ”Håbets fotograf” blev Joakim Eskildsen kaldt i Information juni 2015. Det var kunstkritikeren Rune Gade, der med dette udtryk satte fingeren på den optimisme, som karakteriserer kunstneren Eskildsens billeder. Ordene faldt i en anmeldelse af Det Nationale Fotomuseums udstilling “En verden jeg kan tro på”, og anmeldelsen var illustreret med et smukt fotografi af to børn på vej ud fra skyggen under et træ. Børnene har ryggen til fotografen, der betragter dem fra sin position inde under træet, hvis grene hænger helt til jorden. Lyset spiller i de tynde forårsblade i tusindvis af grønne nuancer, og de to børn løfter bladhanget til side, så de kan træde ud i solen med hinanden. Fotografiet er fra Eskildsens serie Home Works. Det er en parafrase over W. Eugene Smiths berømte fotografi “The Walk to Paradise Garden”, der på en næsten identisk måde viser to børn på vej ud i en lysning hånd i hånd. &nbsp

Considerations for using ETEC and Shigella disease burden estimates to guide vaccine development strategy.

Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and Shigella are enteropathogens causing significant global morbidity and mortality, particularly in low-income countries. No licensed vaccine exists for either pathogen, but candidates are in development, with the most advanced candidates potentially approaching pivotal efficacy testing within the next few years. A positive policy recommendation for introduction of any vaccine, following licensure, depends on evidence of vaccine cost-effectiveness and impact on morbidity and mortality. The mortality estimates for these two pathogens have fluctuated over recent years, which has led to uncertainty in the assessment of their relative public health importance for use in low and middle-income countries. This paper summarizes the various ETEC and Shigella disease burden estimates, based on a review of current literature and informal consultations with leading stakeholders in enteric disease modelling. We discuss the factors that underpin the variability, including differences in the modelling methodology; diagnostic tools used to ascertain diarrheal etiology; epidemiological setting; the data that are available to incorporate; and absolute changes in the total number of diarrheal deaths over time. We consider the further work that will strengthen the evidence needed to support future decision making with respect to recommendations on the relative utility of these vaccines

Straff eller behandling? En inblick i den slutna ungdomsvården

Abstract This assignment is an examinationpaper on behalf of School of social studies at the University of Lund. The essay is about penalty and treatment in the Swedish youth welfare. Present-day Swedish youth welfare has on behalf of the legal system to implement penalty to the adolescence but also give them treatment for the coming life. We think it can be a problem to use these to aspects in the same context and therefore we want to look closer at the combination. To get knowledge about the subject we have performed interviews with employees in the youth welfare in Sweden who works with adolescence who are convicted according to the Swedish law, LSU. We have analyzed the material from the interviews with help from several theories. The essay apply an insight to the work in the youth welfare, witch method of treatment they use and examples of methods that works on the adolescence. Through the interviews we apply a review of penalty and treatment and how this two aspects can be combinated. We problematize which factors that can be improved and the complicatedness to work with penalty and treatment. The result of the essay is that the employees thinks there are more problem with the follow-up care. They think the work with penalty and treatment function well, this however contradicts with the theorists view of the combination

UBEHAG PÅ MARKEDET

Kontekstuel analyse af postkort med et grædende barn fra St. Croix omkring 1910

WHO consultation on Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine Development Report from a World Health Organization Meeting held on 23–24 March 2015

AbstractRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a globally prevalent cause of lower respiratory infection in neonates and infants. Despite its disease burden, a safe and effective RSV vaccine has remained elusive. In recent years, improved understanding of RSV biology and innovations in immunogen design has resulted in the advancement of multiple vaccine candidates into the clinical development pipeline. Given the growing number of vaccines in clinical trials, the rapid pace at which they are being tested, and the likelihood that an RSV vaccine will reach the commercial market in the next 5–10 years, consensus and guidance on clinical development pathways and licensure routes are needed now, before large-scale efficacy trials commence. In pursuit of this aim, the World Health Organization convened the first RSV vaccine consultation in 15 years on the 23rd and 24th of March, 2015 in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting's primary objective was to provide guidance on clinical endpoints and development pathways for vaccine trials with a focus on considerations of low- and middle-income countries. Meeting participants reached consensus on candidate case definitions for RSV disease, considerations for clinical efficacy endpoints, and the clinical development pathway for active and passive immunization trials in maternal and pediatric populations. The strategic focus of this meeting was on the development of high quality, safe and efficacious RSV preventive interventions for global use and included: (1) maternal/passive immunization to prevent RSV disease in infants less than 6 months; (2) pediatric immunization to prevent RSV disease in infants and young children once protection afforded by maternal immunization wanes