Effects of periphyton on monoculture of Puntius gonionotus

An experiment was carried out on the effects of periphyton on monoculture of Thai sharputi, Puntius gonionotus at the Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during 7th August to 8th November. In treatment-1 bamboo poles were used as artificial substrate for periphyton production and in treatment-2 there was no artificial substrate (control). Each of the six ponds was stocked with 150 fingerlings of average size 6.41 cm and 3.60 g. The ponds were fertilized fortnightly with manure (cow dung) at a rate of 10 kg decimal-1, urea 60 g decimal-1 and triple super phosphate 90 g decimal-1. During the experimental period, the ranges of physico-chemical parameters viz. air temperature (31.0-35.50C), water temperature (29-320C), water depth (0.56-0.84 m), transparency (32-63 cm), dissolved oxygen (3.5-7.8 mg L-1), pH (6.8-7.9), total alkalinity (44-92 mg L-1), free CO2 (1.5-4.0 mg L-1), phosphate-phosphorus (0.31-1.07 mg L-1) and nitrate-nitrogen (1.12-2.30 mg L-1) were within the productive range and more or less similar in the ponds under treatments-1 and 2. Among the observed biological parameters, there were 35 genera of phytoplankton composed of five groups and 13 genera of zooplankton composed of four groups in the experimental ponds. Thirty three genera under the groups of Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae and Euglenophyceae formed the periphyton on bamboo poles in the experimental ponds. Net fish production of the ponds with periphyton under treatment-1 was about 1.5 times higher than those of the ponds without periphyton (treatment-2). By analysis of variance, it was found that the net fish production of Thai sharputi under treatment-1 was significantly higher than that under treatment-2 (p< 0.05). Finally, it can be concluded that periphyton is one of the preferable food item of Thai sharputi and it is also suggested that growth and production of Thai sharputi can be increased if arrangement is made for periphyton production. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 8 (2): 13-23, December, 201

The feasibility of community mobilisation for child injury prevention in rural Nepal: A programme for female community health volunteers

Background. Injuries accounted for 23% of all deaths in children and adolescents in Nepal during 2010 (n = 3,700). Despite this, there is no national death registration or injury surveillance system. Non-fatal injuries are many times more common than fatal injuries and may leave the injured person with lifelong consequences. Children in low-income settings are exposed to widespread risks of injuries but there is little awareness of how they can be prevented. Community mobilisation has been shown to be effective to reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity. This study aimed to develop a child safety programme and assess the feasibility of delivering the programme through a community mobilisation approach. Methods. We developed a culturally appropriate, educational programme for Female Community Health Volunteers that included both primary and secondary prevention materials for unintentional child injuries. We determined the feasibility of evaluating its effectiveness through the mobilisation of women’s groups in rural Nepal. Ten women’s groups across 9 wards in one village development committee area completed the programme during 6 monthly meetings. Parent-reported injuries were collected through a notification system established for this study. Experience of the programme by women’s group participants and leaders was assessed through a structured questionnaire and process measures assessed the delivery and reach of the programme. Results. Programme resources were developed for this setting and adapted following feedback from users. Nine FCHVs received first-aid training and shown how to use the facilitation manualand injury prevention resources. The FCHVs convened 10 women’s groups to run over 6 months with 24–29 mothers attending each meeting (290 mothers participated in total). Each group presented their views on child injury risks and proposed prevention activities at local public meetings. Women reported 155 injuries to children under 18 years during 7 months of follow up using the notification system. Conclusions. It is feasible to develop and implement a community mobilisation intervention where women’s groups work together with local FCHVs to prevent injuries in children. The intervention was well received by the women’s groups and by community members. The effectiveness and cost effectiveness of the intervention should now be evaluated through an experimental study

Out of the silos: embedding injury prevention into the Sustainable Development Goals

Globally, unintentional injuries contribute significantly to disability and death. Prevention efforts have traditionally focused on individual injury mechanisms and their specific risk factors, which has resulted in slow progress in reducing the burden. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a global agenda for promoting human prosperity while respecting planetary boundaries. While injury prevention is currently only recognised in the SDG agenda via two road safety targets, the relevance of the SDGs for injury prevention is much broader. In this State of the Art Review, we illustrate how unintentional injury prevention efforts can be advanced substantially within a broad range of SDG goals and advocate for the integration of safety considerations across all sectors and stakeholders. This review uncovers injury prevention opportunities within broader global priorities such as urbanisation, population shifts, water safeguarding and corporate social responsibility. We demonstrate the relevance of injury prevention efforts to the SDG agenda beyond the health goal (SDG 3) and the two specific road safety targets (SDG 3.6 and SDG 11.2), highlighting 13 additional SDGs of relevance. We argue that all involved in injury prevention are at a critical juncture where we can continue with the status quo and expect to see more of the same, or mobilise the global community in an 'Injury Prevention in All Policies' approach