Effects of demand-side financing on utilisation, experiences and outcomes of maternity care in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

Demand-side financing, where funds for specific services are channelled through, or to, prospective users, is now employed in health and education sectors in many low- and middle-income countries. This systematic review aimed to critically examine the evidence on application of this approach to promote maternal health in these settings. Five modes were considered: unconditional cash transfers, conditional cash transfers, short-term payments to offset costs of accessing maternity services, vouchers for maternity services, and vouchers for merit goods. We sought to assess the effects of these interventions on utilisation of maternity services and on maternal health outcomes and infant health, the situation of underprivileged women and the healthcare system

Effect of gamma irradiation on the 24-h glycemic responses of parboiled brown rice diets in Asian Indian adults: A randomized cross-over study

Background: The nutritional importance of brown rice (BR) is well established. Despite several nutritional benefits of BR, its consumption remains limited due to long cooking time and limited shelf-life. BR can be subjected to processing to improve shelf-life. Gamma irradiation is one such strategy, but it could induce changes in the grain and thus affect its glycemic properties. Aims and objectives: The aim of this study was to look at the 24-h glycemic response of irradiated and non-irradiated BR-based iso-caloric diets in Asian Indians. Methods: Fifteen (mean body mass index: 24 ± 2.6 kg/m2) Asian Indian adults without diabetes, aged 25–39 years, participated in this randomized cross-over study. Iso-caloric diets were prepared with two varieties (ADT 43 and Swarna) of parboiled gamma-irradiated brown rice with 750–820 Gy dosage (IBR) and non-irradiated brown rice (NIBR). After the participants consumed these diets, 24-h glycemic responses were recorded using a continuous glucose monitoring system. The mean positive change from baseline glucose concentration was calculated as the incremental area under the curve (IAUC) for both the diets. Results: The percentage difference in 24-h average IAUC was 10% lower in the IBR diets when compared with NIBR diets, irrespective of the variety of BR (P = 0.56). In the case of ADT 43 rice variety, both IBR and NIBR diets showed similar IAUC (P = 0.68). However, the IBR of Swarna rice variety showed 21% lower IAUC when compared with the NIBR diet (P = 0.21). Comparing the IBR varieties, Swarna showed 21% lower IAUC than ADT 43 (P = 0.21), whereas between NIBR varieties, only 0.79% difference was observed between ADT 43 and Swarna (P = 0.93). Conclusions: Gamma irradiation of parboiled BR did not produce significant differences in the 24-h glycemic responses for BR-based diets. Swarna variety was better than ADT 43 with regard to glycemic response. Judicious application of radiation technology to BR varieties may help in shelf-life extension without affecting the glycemic properties

Are Masculinities Changing? Ethnographic Exploration of a Gender Intervention with Men in Rural Maharashtra, India

Samajhdar Jodidar is a community?based intervention with men in rural Maharashtra in India that is aimed at reducing gender disparities at the family and community level. The intervention is based on the results achieved from earlier work done in Uttar Pradesh where ‘role model?activists’ were found to be a crucial inspiration for gender?related changes among men. Through participant observations and in?depth interviews in one village, the article explores the changes that have taken place among men, focusing on the ‘animator’ who has been trained as the role model?activist. The article compares the changes in the animator with the masculinity of ‘wrestlers’ in two neighbouring villages, who form an idealised masculinity for the region. The article argues that such interventions can lead to substantive improvements in women's status without compromising men's ‘masculinities’