Inventaire des essences forestières utiles de la réserve de Bayenga dans le Secteur de Dongo (Province du Sud-Ubangi) en République Démocratique du Congo

The aim of this study was to inventory the different useful and exploitable species found in the Bayenga Forest Reserve in the context of promoting sustainable forest management. The study found that the stand in the Bayenga Forest Reserve contains 39 useful species belonging to 36 genera and 18 families. The three most represented families are Leguminoseae (20.5%), Meliaceae (17.9%) and Malvaceae (10.3%). From an economic point of view, the floristic composition of the forest reserve is still rich in useful species and most of them have high economic value. 16 species (41.0%) belong to class I, 5 species (12.8%) are in class II, 9 species (23.1%) are in class III and 9 species (23.1%) are in class IV. 17 listed species are among the 30 industrial species commonly exploited in DRC. Out of 39 plant species identified, 41.0% are medicinal plants used for the management of common diseases in the study area, hence the need to resort to reduced impact logging in order to sustainably conserve these biological resources. Keywords: Forest species, rational logging, sustainable development, Bayenga Reserve, Democratic Republic of CongoLa présente étude avait pour but d’inventorier les différentes essences utiles et exploitables se trouvant dans la réserve forestière de Bayenga dans le cadre de la promotion de la gestion durable des forêts. Il ressort de cette étude que le peuplement de ladite réserve forestière renferme 39 essences utiles réparties en 36 genres et 18 familles. Les trois familles les plus représentées sont les Leguminoseae (20,5%), les Meliaceae (17,9%) et Malvaceae (10,3%). Du point de vue économique, la composition floristique de ladite réserve forestière est encore riche en essences utiles et que la plupart d’entre elles ont une grande valeur économique. 16 espèces (soit 41,0%) appartiennent à la classe I, 5 espèces (soit 12,8%) se trouvent dans la classe II, 9 espèces (soit 23,1%) sont dans la classe III et 9 espèces (soit 23,1%) sont dans la classe IV. 17 espèces répertoriées comptent parmi les 30 essences d’industrie couramment exploitées en RDC. Sur 39 espèces végétales identifiées, 41,0% sont des plantes médicinales utilisées pour la prise en charge des maladies courantes dans la zone d’étude, d’où la nécessité de recourir à l’exploitation forestière à impact réduit en vue de conserver durablement ces ressources biologiques. Mots clés: Essence forestière, exploitation raisonnée, développement durable, réserve de Bayenga, RD Cong

Some determinants of fertility among Banyankole : findings of the Ankole fertility survey

Co-published with IDR

Drivers for SMEs participation in entrepreneurial ecosystems:evidence from health tech ecosystem in Northern Finland

Abstract Purpose: The entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) literature is dominated by conceptual studies with insufficient theoretical foundations and empirical evidence on the micro-level. This study aims to explore the largely overlooked question of what the drivers that motivate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to participate in an ecosystem are. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a qualitative exploratory approach. The empirical data consists of 19 semi-structured interviews with top management of SMEs in the health tech ecosystem in Finland. The data were analyzed using a thematic content analysis. Findings: This study reveals a typology of drivers that motivate SMEs to participate in an ecosystem. These include social drivers (networking and cooperation and communication and knowledge sharing), resource drivers (access to resources, formal and informal support and market access) and cognitive drivers (shared goals and common values). Research limitations/implications: The study contributes to the EE research by highlighting the drivers that motivate health tech SMEs to become members of the local ecosystem. It suggests that managers and entrepreneurs need to be aware of the factors related to social, resource and cognitive drivers to ensure the future success of their business. Originality/value The study draws evidence from a micro-level perspective which enriches the understanding of the EE phenomenon. It also explores an increasingly relevant but under-researched field, the health tech ecosystem

Managing hypertension in rural Uganda: Realities and strategies 10 years of experience at a district hospital chronic disease clinic.

The literature on the global burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) contrasts a spiraling epidemic centered in low-income countries with low levels of awareness, risk factor control, infrastructure, personnel and funding. There are few data-based reports of broad and interconnected strategies to address these challenges where they hit hardest. Kisoro district in Southwest Uganda is rural, remote, over-populated and poor, the majority of its population working as subsistence farmers. This paper describes the 10-year experience of a tri-partite collaboration between Kisoro District Hospital, a New York teaching hospital, and a US-based NGO delivering hypertension services to the district. Using data from patient and pharmacy registers and a random sample of charts reviewed manually, we describe both common and often-overlooked barriers to quality care (clinic overcrowding, drug stockouts, provider shortages, visit non-adherence, and uninformative medical records) and strategies adopted to address these barriers (locally-adapted treatment guidelines, patient-clinic-pharmacy cost sharing, appointment systems, workforce development, patient-provider continuity initiatives, and ongoing data monitoring). We find that: 1) although following CVD risk-based treatment guidelines could safely allocate scarce medications to the highest-risk patients first, national guidelines emphasizing treatment at blood pressures over 140/90 mmHg ignore the reality of "stockouts" and conflict with this goal; 2) often-overlooked barriers to quality care such as poor quality medical records, clinic disorganization and local employment practices are surmountable; 3) cost-sharing initiatives partially fill the gap during stockouts of government supplied medications, but still may be insufficient for the poorest patients; 4) frequent prolonged lapses in care may be the norm for most known hypertensives in rural SSA, and 5) ongoing data monitoring can identify local barriers to quality care and provide the impetus to ameliorate them. We anticipate that our 10-year experience adapting to the complex challenges of hypertension management and a granular description of the solutions we devised will be of benefit to others managing chronic disease in similar rural African communities