Performances of the Industrial, Oil and Gas and the Insurance Sectors in Nigeria – A Correlational Analysis

This paper comparatively examines the performances of Nigeria’s Oil and Gas, Insurance and the Industrial Sectors using their Market Capitalization for a period of 2009-2015 sourced from the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Augmented Dickey-Fuller Test was used to ensure the stationarity of the distribution by means of differencing, ANOVA for the analysis of variances while Pearson Correlation was employed to empirically establish the direction and strength of relationships between sectors’ performances. Findings showed that the industrial sector’s market capitalization consistently reduces as that of the oil and gas sector increases, given a significant strong negative correlation coefficient of -0.738 for the relationship between them. As trend analysis also showed that the performances of the oil and gas sector has been declining since the latter years under review (2014/2015), the paper recommended economic diversification through development of other sectors, particularly the industrial sector. Keywords: Oil and Gas Sector, Insurance Sector, Industrial Sector, and  Market Capitalization JEL CLASSIFICATION: G10, G15,  G19,.

One hundred priority questions for the development of sustainable food systems in sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is facing an expected doubling of human population and tripling of food demand over the next quarter century, posing a range of severe environmental, political, and socio-economic challenges. In some cases, key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are in direct conflict, raising difficult policy and funding decisions, particularly in relation to trade-offs between food production, social inequality, and ecosystem health. In this study, we used a horizon-scanning approach to identify 100 practical or research-focused questions that, if answered, would have the greatest positive impact on addressing these trade-offs and ensuring future productivity and resilience of food-production systems across sub-Saharan Africa. Through direct canvassing of opinions, we obtained 1339 questions from 331 experts based in 55 countries. We then used online voting and participatory workshops to produce a final list of 100 questions divided into 12 thematic sections spanning topics from gender inequality to technological adoption and climate change. Using data on the background of respondents, we show that perspectives and priorities can vary, but they are largely consistent across different professional and geographical contexts. We hope these questions provide a template for establishing new research directions and prioritising funding decisions in sub-Saharan Africa

Implementing tools to promote adherence to anti-retroviral therapy at facilities in Kenya

Background: Lack of effective systems and tools to identify and track defaulters are some of the factors that pose challenges in adherence monitoring for patients on antiretroviral treatment (ART). An intervention was performed to introduce a facilitybased appointment keeping system, and a revised clinic form to monitor patients’ adherence to ART.Objective: To assess facility staff perceptions of, motivation for and self-reported practice in the implementation, and on the use of adherence-based indicators to inform decisions for performance improvement.Design: Qualitative explorative study aiming to evaluate a quasi-experimental intervention.Settings: Six conveniently sampled health facilities in Kenya located in Central, Eastern and Rift Valley provinces.Subjects: Thirty-six clinic staff members were interviewed, six at each facility, including facility managers, clinicians, nursing and pharmacy staff, counsellors, health records information officers and social workers. Analysis was performed in line with the Pettigrew and Whipp framework.Results: Providers perceived that the intervention had empowered them to assess their clinic’s daily workload and to identify those patients who missed their appointments. Factors enhancing the positive uptake of the intervention included the availability of tools to monitor appointment keeping, training on adherence principles and supervisory support. Early detection of treatment defaulters helped the providers design targeted patient support to enhance appointment keeping.Conclusion: The effect of the intervention led to implementation of changes within the clinic to enhance patients’ appointment keeping and improve adherence to treatment. We expect the reported and observed changes to be sustainable as data generation and calculation of indicators to inform decision-making were performed by the providers themselves

Effect of universal test-and-treat uptake, defined as same day, 1–14 days, 15–90 days and 91+ days from a HIV diagnosis to combination antiretroviral therapy start on twelve months attrition, defined as lost to follow up or dead, amongst HIV infected adults captured in the national data warehouse in Kenya (2015HY2 to 2018HY1, N = 8592).

Effect of universal test-and-treat uptake, defined as same day, 1–14 days, 15–90 days and 91+ days from a HIV diagnosis to combination antiretroviral therapy start on twelve months attrition, defined as lost to follow up or dead, amongst HIV infected adults captured in the national data warehouse in Kenya (2015HY2 to 2018HY1, N = 8592).</p

Flow chart showing distribution of HIV infected individuals captured in the national data warehouse (NDW) and selection of eligible individuals carried forward to the analysis.

Flow chart showing distribution of HIV infected individuals captured in the national data warehouse (NDW) and selection of eligible individuals carried forward to the analysis.</p

(a) Uptake of universal test-and-treat presented as proportions of HIV infected individuals starting combination antiretroviral therapy on the same day, 1–14 days, 15–90 days and 91+ days from a HIV diagnosis; (b) Twelve months non-retention, defined as lost to follow up or dead, among of HIV infected adults by uptake of universal test-and-treat; and (c) initial virologic non-suppression (first available viral load test results of >400 copies per ml) between the sampled population and the general population of individuals started cART between 2015HY2 and 2018HY1 in Kenya (N = 358,676).

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Comparison of characteristics between HIV infected individuals starting combination antiretroviral therapy between 2015HY2 to 2018HY1 but had a missing date of HIV diagnosis and those with a date of HIV diagnosis (N = 9,744).

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An outline of facilities that met the eligibility criteria (lowest proportion missing date of HIV diagnosis and a viral load test done within 12 months of combination antiretroviral therapy initiation) from the 38 facilities from 38 counties contributing to the national data warehouse in Kenya and included in the analysis (2015-HY2 to 2018-HY1).

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Effect of universal test-and-treat, defined as same day, 1–14 days, 15–90 days and 91+ days from a HIV diagnosis to combination antiretroviral therapy start, on initial virologic non-suppression (first available viral load test results of >400) amongst HIV infected adults starting combination antiretroviral therapy and captured in the national data warehouse in Kenya (2016-HY2 to 2018-HY1, N = 5986).

Effect of universal test-and-treat, defined as same day, 1–14 days, 15–90 days and 91+ days from a HIV diagnosis to combination antiretroviral therapy start, on initial virologic non-suppression (first available viral load test results of >400) amongst HIV infected adults starting combination antiretroviral therapy and captured in the national data warehouse in Kenya (2016-HY2 to 2018-HY1, N = 5986).</p

Graph showing initial virologic non-suppression (first available viral load test results of >400 copies per ml) stratified by universal test and treat, defined as same day, 1–14 days, 15–90 days and 91+ days from a HIV diagnosis to combination antiretroviral therapy start, amongst HIV infected adults starting combination antiretroviral therapy using data from the national data warehouse in Kenya (2015HY2 to 2018HY1, N = 5986).

Graph showing initial virologic non-suppression (first available viral load test results of >400 copies per ml) stratified by universal test and treat, defined as same day, 1–14 days, 15–90 days and 91+ days from a HIV diagnosis to combination antiretroviral therapy start, amongst HIV infected adults starting combination antiretroviral therapy using data from the national data warehouse in Kenya (2015HY2 to 2018HY1, N = 5986).</p