Impacts of AKST on development and sustainability goals.

Assessment and analysis of AKST impacts; Agriculture productivity, production factors and consumption; impacts of akst on sustainability, through integrated technologies and the delivery of ecosystem services and public goods; Impacts of akst on livehoods, capacoty strenthening and empowerment; relationshipsbetween akst, coordination and regulatory processes among multipl3e stakeholders

Supporting the revision of the health benefits package in Uganda : A constrained optimisation approach

This study demonstrates how the linear constrained optimization approach can be used to design a health benefits package (HBP) which maximises the net disability adjusted life years (DALYs) averted given the health system constraints faced by a country, and how the approach can help assess the marginal value of relaxing health system constraints. In the analysis performed for Uganda, 45 interventions were included in the HBP in the base scenario, resulting in a total of 26.7 million net DALYs averted. When task shifting of pharmacists' and nutrition officers' tasks to nurses is allowed, 73 interventions were included in the HBP resulting in a total of 32 million net DALYs averted (a 20% increase). Further, investing only $58 towards hiring additional nutrition officers' time could avert one net DALY; this increased to$60 and $64 for pharmacists and nurses respectively, and$100,000 for expanding the consumable budget, since human resources present the main constraint to the system

Determinants of safety climate at primary care level in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda: a cross-sectional study across 138 selected primary healthcare facilities

Background Safety climate is an essential component of achieving Universal Health Coverage, with several organisational, unit or team-level, and individual health worker factors identified as influencing safety climate. Few studies however, have investigated how these factors contribute to safety climate within health care settings in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The current study examines the relationship between key organisational, unit and individual-level factors and safety climate across primary health care centres in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda. Methods A cross-sectional, self-administered survey was conducted across 138 primary health care facilities in nine districts across Uganda, Ghana and Malawi. In total, 760 primary health workers completed the questionnaire. The relationships between individual (sex, job satisfaction), unit (teamwork climate, supportive supervision), organisational-level (district managerial support) and safety climate were tested using structural equation modelling (SEM) procedures. Post hoc analyses were also carried out to explore these relationships within each country. Results Our model including all countries explained 55% of the variance in safety climate. In this model, safety climate was most strongly associated with teamwork (β = 0.56, p < 0.001), supportive supervision (β = 0.34, p < 0.001), and district managerial support (β = 0.29, p < 0.001). In Ghana, safety climate was positively associated with job satisfaction (β = 0.30, p < 0.05), teamwork (β = 0.46, p < 0.001), and supportive supervision (β = 0.21, p < 0.05), whereby the model explained 43% of the variance in safety climate. In Uganda, the total variance explained by the model was 64%, with teamwork (β = 0.56, p < 0.001), supportive supervision (β = 0.43, p < 0.001), and perceived district managerial support (β = 0.35, p < 0.001) all found to be positively associated with climate. In Malawi, the total variance explained by the model was 63%, with teamwork (β = 0.39, p = 0.005) and supportive supervision (β = 0.27, p = 0.023) significantly and positively associated with safety climate. Discussion/conclusions Our findings highlight the importance of unit-level factors—and in specific, teamwork and supportive supervision—as particularly important contributors to perceptions of safety climate among primary health workers in LMICs. Implications for practice are discussed

Biosafety education relevant to genetically engineered crops for academic and non-academic stakeholders in East Africa

Development and deployment of genetically engineered crops requires effective environmental and food safety assessment capacity. In-country expertise is needed to make locally appropriate decisions. In April 2007, biosafety and biotechnology scientists, regulators, educators, and communicators from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, met to examine the status and needs of biosafety training and educational programs in East Africa. Workshop participants emphasized the importance of developing biosafety capacity within their countries and regionally. Key recommendations included identification of key biosafety curricular components for university students; collaboration among institutions and countries; development of informational materials for non-academic stakeholders and media; and organization of study tours for decision makers. It was emphasized that biosafety knowledge is important for all aspects of environmental health, food safety, and human and animal hygiene. Thus, development of biosafety expertise, policies and procedures can be a stepping stone to facilitate improved biosafety for all aspects of society and the environment

Background information on bean production in the fertile crescent zone of Uganda

The fertile crecent zone lies within the first 100 km of lake Victoria. It has medium to high fertility soils. The total annual rainfall is around 1000 mm with peak periods from March to June and from September to December. The area is classified as the robusta coffee/banana farming system zone. Beans are largely produced in association with other crops, with maize and bananas being the most important. Bean production in this zone is 14-17 percent of national production. Beans are used primarily for home consumption, but sales are common. Large to medium size grain types are preferred. The major production problems range from biotic and abiotic to social economical factors. (AS)La zona de la creciente fertil se localiza dentro de los primeros 100 km del lago Victoria. Posee suelos de fertilidad media a alta. La precipitacion anual total es alrededor de 1000 mm con periodos pico de marzo a junio y de sept. a dic. El area se clasifica como zona de sistema de cultivo cafe robusta/banano. El frijol se produce principalmente en asociacion con otros cultivos, siendo los mas importantes el maiz y el banano. La produccion de frijol en esta zona representa el 14-17 por ciento de la produccion nacional. El frijol se utiliza fundamentalmente para consumo domestico, aunque es comun la venta. Se prefieren los tipos de grano de tamano grande a mediano. Los principales problemas de la produccion varian desde los factores bioticos y abioticos hasta los socioeconomicos. (RA-CIAT

Progress on bean pathology research in Uganda

Diseases were identified as the most important factor limiting bean production as early as 1960. Research on these diseases in Uganda focused on the important ones as identified by pathologists. The progress presented here summarizes the work carried out on these diseases since 1960. Between 1960-1984 races of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum and Uromyces appendiculatus were identified. The survival mechanism and transmission of angular leaf spot was established and the use of fungicides in the control of diseases was studied. Benlate gave control to angular leaf spot while rust was best controlled by dithane M45. Breeders' materials were evaluated for diseases in different areas. Since 1985 more diversification in pathology research has occurred. Work has been done on ascochyta blight, CBB, BCMV, halo blight as well as on effect of intercropping on diseases and crop loss assessment. Evaluation of breeders' materials and disease nurseries is also being carried out. (AS)A comienzos de 1960, se identifico a las enfermedades como el principal limitante de la produccion de frijol. La investigacion en estas enfermedades en Uganda se enfoco en las mas importantes que habian identificado los patologos. Se resumen los trabajos realizados en estas enfermedades desde 1960. Entre 1960 y 1984, se identificaron razas de Colletorrichum lindemuthianum y Uromyces appendiculatus. Se establecio el mecanismo de supervivencia y la transmision de la mancha foliar angular y se estudio el uso de fungicidas para el control de enfermedades. El benomil y el mancozeb controlaron la mancha foliar angular y la roya, resp. Se evaluo en varias areas la reaccion a enfermedades de los materiales seleccionados por los mejoradores. Desde 1985 se ha diversificado la investigacion en patologia de frijol. Se ha trabajado en mancha por Ascochyta, anublo bacteriano comun, BCMV, anublo de halo, y en el efecto de los cultivos asociados en las enfermedades y la evaluacion de perdidas del cultivo. Tambien se estan evaluando los materiales de los mejoradores y los viveros de enfermedades. (RA- CIAT