Social Welfare and Access to Housing Among the Middle and Low-income Earners in Nigeria: A Review of Frameworks for Housing Delivery

Adequate housing is one of the necessities of a qualitative life. It is only next to food and clothing in importance and contributes to the attainment of the physical and moral health of a nation.  Decent housing also stimulates the social stability and economic development for the country. Successive Governments have attempted to provide access to qualitative housing for low-income groups without meaningful results. This study, therefore, interrogates the role of social welfare in enhancing access to housing among the middle and low-income earners to ascertain the extent to which the frameworks for housing delivery in Nigeria advance the welfare of the poor. With the aid of Social Democratic theory, the study opines that access to housing can only be democratized for all classes of income groups when the principle of social welfare constitute the foundation of the framework for housing delivery. The study used documentary tools in the generation of its data and analytical approach in its analysis. The study discovered among others; that social welfare orientation plays crucial roles in the creation of universal access to housing in several advanced countries around the world, and the lack of social welfare principle in the frameworks for housing delivery in Nigeria is to a large extent responsible for the ever-widening housing gap in the country. The study recommends that the Federal Government should undertake a review of the frameworks for housing delivery in order to establish the social welfare principle as a cardinal principle in the housing delivery strategies for the middle and low-income earners in the country. Keywords: Social welfare; Access to housing; Middle and Low-income Earners; Housing Delivery Framework; Housing Delivery. DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/11-1-08 Publication date: February 28th 202

An Assessment of the Effects of Training and Development on Employees’ Performance in Gombe State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, (2015-2019)

Systematic and timely training and development of employees is crucial to attaining optimal performance in both the private and public sectors. This study examines the extent to which employees' training and development enhance employees' performance in the Gombe State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. The study adopted a survey design with a questionnaire and unstructured interview as the instrument of data collection. The study has a population of 271, out of which 155 was sampled through stratified and random sampling techniques. Data were presented using tables and simple percentages, while chi-square was used to test the research hypothesis. The study found no significant difference among the staff in the perception that training and development does not support employees' performance in the Ministry as training and development programmes are not being organised for staff. The study also established that the Ministry's leadership had not shown a good appreciation of the critical role of regular training of staff in enhancing employees' performance. The study recommends, among others, a change in the disposition of the leadership of the Ministry and the Office of the Head of Service to the training of staff through the development of mechanisms for establishing employees' skills deficiency; and requesting the Government to make a budgetary line for staff training in the State’s yearly budgets. Keywords: Training and Development; Employees’ Performance; Performance Evaluation; Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development; Gombe. DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/77-05 Publication date:July 31st 202

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS (SALWs) PROLIFERATION AND ESCALATING THREAT OF BANDITRY IN NORTHWEST NIGERIA

This study examines the extent to which small arms and light weapons (SALWs) proliferation contributes to the escalating insecurity in North Western Nigeria. The methodology of this study is based on information generated from primary and secondary sources and analysed through the qualitative method. The power elite theory was adopted in this study to substantiate the literature and the findings. The study reveals that the Northwest has become saturated with various calibres of sophisticated SALWs which has enabled bandit groups to carry out atrocities against unarmed civilian communities and government targets. The study also revealed that the impact of SALWs proliferation and banditry on human lives in the region has expanded over the years. It was recommended that an urgent move should be made by the government to contain the flow of SALWs; there should be a coordinated synergy and cooperation among various security formations, and there should be proper engagement with the border communities for efficient intelligence gathering and sharing. The provision of technology-driven facilities would enhance the performance of security agents to eliminate the flow of arms and contain armed banditry in the Northwest

Adaptation of the Wound Healing Questionnaire universal-reporter outcome measure for use in global surgery trials (TALON-1 study): mixed-methods study and Rasch analysis

BackgroundThe Bluebelle Wound Healing Questionnaire (WHQ) is a universal-reporter outcome measure developed in the UK for remote detection of surgical-site infection after abdominal surgery. This study aimed to explore cross-cultural equivalence, acceptability, and content validity of the WHQ for use across low- and middle-income countries, and to make recommendations for its adaptation.MethodsThis was a mixed-methods study within a trial (SWAT) embedded in an international randomized trial, conducted according to best practice guidelines, and co-produced with community and patient partners (TALON-1). Structured interviews and focus groups were used to gather data regarding cross-cultural, cross-contextual equivalence of the individual items and scale, and conduct a translatability assessment. Translation was completed into five languages in accordance with Mapi recommendations. Next, data from a prospective cohort (SWAT) were interpreted using Rasch analysis to explore scaling and measurement properties of the WHQ. Finally, qualitative and quantitative data were triangulated using a modified, exploratory, instrumental design model.ResultsIn the qualitative phase, 10 structured interviews and six focus groups took place with a total of 47 investigators across six countries. Themes related to comprehension, response mapping, retrieval, and judgement were identified with rich cross-cultural insights. In the quantitative phase, an exploratory Rasch model was fitted to data from 537 patients (369 excluding extremes). Owing to the number of extreme (floor) values, the overall level of power was low. The single WHQ scale satisfied tests of unidimensionality, indicating validity of the ordinal total WHQ score. There was significant overall model misfit of five items (5, 9, 14, 15, 16) and local dependency in 11 item pairs. The person separation index was estimated as 0.48 suggesting weak discrimination between classes, whereas Cronbach's α was high at 0.86. Triangulation of qualitative data with the Rasch analysis supported recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ items 1 (redness), 3 (clear fluid), 7 (deep wound opening), 10 (pain), 11 (fever), 15 (antibiotics), 16 (debridement), 18 (drainage), and 19 (reoperation). Changes to three item response categories (1, not at all; 2, a little; 3, a lot) were adopted for symptom items 1 to 10, and two categories (0, no; 1, yes) for item 11 (fever).ConclusionThis study made recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ for use in global surgical research and practice, using co-produced mixed-methods data from three continents. Translations are now available for implementation into remote wound assessment pathways

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

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