Historical Intersections: Africa, Canada and Empire

The histories of Canada and of other places around the globe can intersect in ways that are as fascinating as they are unexpected. I have found this to be the case in my own research on colonial African legal appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) in London and the impact of these cases on the colonial enterprise

Sources and Quality of Knowledge of Ante-Natal Care Physicians about Oral Conditions in Pregnancy: The Need to Do More

Context: During pregnancy, women are at a greater risk of experiencing poor oral health and this can affect pregnancy outcome. It is important that ante-natal care givers be knowledgeable on possible oral conditions that can affect the pregnant woman so that she can be adequately managed.Objective: To evaluate the sources and quality of knowledge of ante-natal care physicians about oral conditions in pregnancy.Study design, Setting and Subjects: A descriptive cross-sectional study of ante-natal care physicians at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.Main outcome measures: Information on demographic characteristics, knowledge of oral conditions in pregnancy, effect of oral micro-organisms on mother and child, efficacy of routine scaling and polishing on reduction of oral micro-organisms and sources of respondents' dental information.Result: 81.3% and 30.8% of the respondents knew that gingivitis and periodontal disease respectively were sometimes seen in pregnancy. Majority of the respondents thought that oral micro-organisms had effects on mother and child. Only 42.1% thought that conventional scaling and polishing would reduce the oral microorganisms. There was statistically significant relationship between quality of knowledge and dental textbook as source of dental information.Conclusion: This study highlights the dearth of knowledge among  ante-natal care physicians about oral diseases which may have  consequences on maternal and fetal health, emphasizing the need to do more

Is West Africa Borderless? Non-State Actors in Intra-Regional Migration in the Sub-region

The inter-state borders in West Africa remain mini "iron curtains" .and "narrow gates" through which migrants traverse with pain, stress and tears. Visa requirements have been removed but migrants continue to be confronted by customs and police harassment, resUlting in considerable economic loss and humiliation. They are a major cog in the wheel of the Economic Community of West African States' (ECOWAS) dream of borderless WestAfrica. In January 2007, the Heads ofState of the member States ofECOWAS had reached an agreement that only two checkpoints should be maintained along common borders, but up till now, the agreement is yet to be implemented. This paper will utilise multi-methods which include ethnography and case study in analysing the intricacies surrounding the borders and ineffective Protocol on Free Movement in West Africa and the effects on the non-state actors. Ghanaian and Nigerian diasporas living in Nigerian and Ghana respectively are used as the case study of the non-state actors that move back and forth within the region. The implementation of the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons by the governments of the ECOWAS member States and the officials at the borders will lead to borderless WestAfrica

Mapping a research-advocacy-policy agenda on human rights and albinism: a mixed methods project

Background: Persons with albinism face challenges to their wellbeing, safety, and security, ranging from vision impairment and skin cancer to stigma and discrimination. In some regions, they also face human rights atrocities including mutilation and murder. Research on human rights and albinism is a relatively new field that has gained momentum since the United Nations appointment of an Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism. In this paper, we present the results of a mixed methods study undertaken to identify priorities for research, advocacy, and policy on albinism and human rights. Methods: The first component was a synthesis of peer-reviewed and grey literatures at the nexus of albinism, spiritual/cultural beliefs and practices, and human rights. We then conducted a priority-setting survey, informed by Delphi methods, on extant knowledge-practice gaps and research, advocacy, and policy priorities. Inclusion criteria included demonstrated expertise in the field (e.g., peer-reviewed publications, funded research), membership on national or international associations, or advocacy (civil society organizations) of more than 2 years in albinism and human rights. Thereafter, we gathered leading researchers, policy-makers, and civil society stakeholders for a Roundtable to gain consensus on these priorities. Results: Access to skin and vision care, and education were not deemed high priority for research, likely because the evidence supporting the need for these is well established. However, they were priorities for advocacy and policy: what is needed is mobilization of this evidence through advocacy and implementation of such services (policy). Other social determinants of health (rurality, poverty, and gender equality) are present as subtext in the findings, more so than priorities for research, advocacy, or policy, despite their preponderance in the lives of persons with albinism. Research was prioritized on stigma and discrimination; advocacy; and witchcraft, but with some differentiation between Global North and Global South priorities. Priorities for research, advocacy, and policy vary in keeping with the explanatory frameworks at play, including how harmful practices and witchcraft are viewed. Conclusions: The lived experience of albinism is profoundly shaped by the social determinants of health (SDOH). Threats to the security and well-being of persons with albinism should be viewed through a human rights lens that encompasses the explanatory frameworks at play

Universities and community-based research in developing countries: community voice and educational provision in rural Tanzania

The main focus of recent research on the community engagement role of universities has been in developed countries, generally in towns and cities and usually conducted from the perspectives of universities rather than the communities with which they engage. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the community engagement role of universities in the rural areas of developing countries, and its potential for strengthening the voice of rural communities. The particular focus is on the provision of primary and secondary education. The paper is based on the assumption that in order for community members to have both the capacity and the confidence to engage in political discourse for improving educational capacity and quality, they need the opportunity to become involved and well-versed in the options available, beyond their own experience. Particular attention is given in the paper to community-based research (CBR). CBR is explored from the perspectives of community members and local leaders in the government-community partnerships which have responsibility for the provision of primary and secondary education in rural Tanzania. The historical and policy background of the partnerships, together with findings from two case studies, provide the context for the paper

What can Africa Learn from China's Experience in Agricultural Development?

Submitted version of Bulletin articleThere has been a growing interest in China’s rapid economic growth, particularly agriculture-led growth and poverty reduction. In fact, China and Africa have developed their agriculture under different historical conditions. China’s agriculture-led growth and poverty reduction and small holder based agricultural development policy can provide a useful model for African countries to develop their own agricultural development strategies to reduce poverty.DFID, ESR

Tracing shadows: How gendered power relations shape the impacts of maternal death on living children in Sub-Saharan Africa

Driven by the need to better understand the full and intergenerational toll of maternal mortality (MM), a mixed-methods study was conducted in four countries in sub-Saharan Africa to investigate the impacts of maternal death on families and children. The present analysis identifies gender as a fundamental driver not only of maternal, but also child health, through manifestations of gender inequity in house- hold decision making, labor and caregiving, and social norms dictating the status of women. Focus group discussions were conducted with community members, and in depth qualitative interviews with key- informants and stakeholders, in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi, and South Africa between April 2012 and October 2013. Findings highlight that socially constructed gender roles, which define mothers as care- givers and fathers as wage earners, and which limit women's agency regarding childcare decisions, among other things, create considerable gaps when it comes to meeting child nutrition, education, and health care needs following a maternal death. Additionally, our findings show that maternal deaths have differential effects on boy and girl children, and exacerbate specific risks for girl children, including early marriage, early pregnancy, and school drop-out. To combat both MM, and to mitigate impacts on children, investment in health services interventions should be complemented by broader interventions regarding social protection, as well as aimed at shifting social norms and opportunity structures regarding gendered divisions of labor and power at household, community, and society levels.Web of Scienc

How 'universal' is the United Nations' Universal Periodic Review process? An examination of the discussions held on polygamy

In 2006, United Nations Human Rights Council was tasked to establish a new human rights monitoring mechanism: Universal Periodic Review process. The primary aim of this process is to promote and protect the universality of all human rights issues and concerns via a dialogical peer review process. The aim of this investigation isto ask the following question: has this claim of promoting and protecting the universality of the human rights been met, or challenged, during state reviews in the UPR process? The issue of polygamy has been selected as the focus for this investigation to be used, primarily, as a tool to undertake an in-depth analysis of the discussions held during state reviews in the review process. In addition, this paper will employ scholarly debates between universalism and cultural relativism, as well as the sophisticated and nuanced approaches that fall in between the polarised opposites, to analyse the discussions held on human rights during state reviews. Ultimately, the findings and discussion of this investigation will provide a unique and valuable insight to the work and operation of the UPR process, so far