Toilet training: what can the cookstove sector learn from improved sanitation promotion?

Within the domain of public health, commonalities exist between the sanitation and cookstove sectors. Despite these commonalities and the grounds established for cross-learning between both sectors, however, there has not been much evidence of knowledge exchange across them to date. Our paper frames this as a missed opportunity for the cookstove sector, given the capacity for user-centred innovation and multi-scale approaches demonstrated in the sanitation sector. The paper highlights points of convergence and divergence in the approaches used in both sectors, with particular focus on behaviour change approaches that go beyond the level of the individual. The analysis highlights the importance of the enabling environment, community-focused approaches and locally-specific contextual factors in promoting behavioural change in the sanitation sector. Our paper makes a case for the application of such approaches to cookstove interventions, especially in light of their ability to drive sustained change by matching demand-side motivations with supply-side opportunities

Mapping the Future: Policy Applications of Climate Vulnerability Mapping in West Africa

We describe the development of climate vulnerability maps for three Sahelian countries – Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger – and for coastal West Africa, with a focus on the way the maps were designed to meet decision-making needs and their ultimate influence and use in policy contexts. The paper provides a review of the literature on indicators and maps in the science-policy interface. We then assess the credibility, salience, and legitimacy of the maps as tools for decision-making. Results suggest that vulnerability maps are a useful boundary object for generating discussions among stakeholders with different objectives and technical backgrounds, and that they can provide useful input for targeting development assistance. We conclude with a discussion of the power of maps to capture policy maker attention, and how this increases the onus on map developers to communicate clearly uncertainties and limitations. The assessment of policy uptake in this paper is admittedly subjective; the article includes a discussion of ways to conduct more objective and rigorous assessments of policy impact so as to better evaluate the value and use of vulnerability mapping in decision-making processes

Women, wellbeing and Wildlife Management Areas in Tanzania

Community-based wildlife management claims pro-poor, gender-sensitive outcomes. However, intersectional political ecology predicts adverse impacts on marginalised people. Our large-scale quantitative approach draws out common patterns and differentiated ways women are affected by Tanzania’s Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). This first large-scale, rigorous evaluation studies WMA impacts on livelihoods and wellbeing of 937 married women in 42 villages across six WMAs and matched controls in Northern and Southern Tanzania. While WMAs bring community infrastructure benefits, most women have limited political participation, and experience resource use restrictions and fear of wildlife attacks. Wealth and region are important determinants, with the poorest worst impacted

Who is to blame? Perspectives of caregivers on barriers to accessing healthcare for the under-fives in Butere District, Western Kenya

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Kenya, like many developing nations, continues to experience high childhood mortality in spite of the many efforts put in place by governments and international bodies to curb it. This study sought to investigate the barriers to accessing healthcare services for children aged less than five years in Butere District, a rural district experiencing high rates of mortality and morbidity despite having relatively better conditions for child survival.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Exit interviews were conducted among caregivers seeking healthcare for their children in mid 2007 in all the 6 public health facilities. Additionally, views from caregivers in the community, health workers and district health managers were sought through focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIs).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Three hundred and ninety-seven respondents were surveyed in exit interviews while 45 respondents participated in FGDs and KIs. Some practices by caregivers including early onset of child bearing, early supplementation, and utilization of traditional healers were thought to increase the risk of mortality and morbidity, although reported rates of mosquito net utilization and immunization coverage were high. The healthcare system posed barriers to access of healthcare for the under fives, through long waiting time, lack of drugs and poor services, incompetence and perceived poor attitudes of the health workers. FGDs also revealed wide-spread concerns and misconceptions about health care among the caregivers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Caregivers' actions were thought to influence children's progression to illness or health while the healthcare delivery system posed recurrent barriers to the accessing of healthcare for the under-fives. Actions on both fronts are necessary to reduce childhood mortality.</p

Sustainable Consumption Behavior in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Conceptual Framework

This paper develops a conceptual framework for investigating the adoption patterns, inhibitors, and facilitators ( PIF ) of sustainable consumption in sub-Sahara African ( SSA ) settings. Literature evidence shows paucity of empirical studies on sustainable consumption from SSA , which partly explains lack of suitable conceptual framework to guide research in this area. Also, the existing frameworks, which were developed outside SSA may not be suitable for constructing sustainable consumption behavior in SSA because of its peculiarities. The key signifi cance of this article is the potential of providing future researchers in this area with a framework to guide and manage their studies. As a conceptual article, insight was drawn from a plethora of scholarly articles in the domain of sustainable consumption and related areas. The framework is built on four key constructs—adoption patterns, inhibitors, facilitators ( PIF ), and intention. As a guide for studies from the SSA , the article includes an empirical section, which provides preliminary empirical validation for the proposed PIF conceptual framework based on a pilot test. The result from the pilot study, using structural equation modeling ( SEM ), led to positing the PIF Sustainable Consumption model, thus giving support for the PIF Conceptual Framework, which this article puts forward. In addition, the proposed PIF conceptual framework is capable of providing insight for crafting sustainability-related policies. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Determinants of Complementary Feeding Practices Among Nepalese Children Aged 6-23 Months: Findings From Demographic and Health Survey 2011

Background: The adoption of inappropriate feeding practices is one of the reasons for under nutrition in Nepal and elsewhere. The objective of this study was to describe the rate of and identify the factors associated with providing the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended infant feeding practices of minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet in Nepal amongst young children between 6–23 months in 2011. Methods: Data from Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2011 was used. Prevalence of minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet was obtained by using descriptive statistics. A Chi-square test (χ2) followed by multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine the adjusted effect of potential factors on the outcome variables. Results: Of the 698 children aged 6–23 months; while 535 (76.6%) received the minimum meal frequency, only 212 (30.4%) children received the minimum dietary diversity, and 185 (26.5%) received an acceptable diet. Children of older mothers (>35 years); educated mothers and fathers; and mothers from all the development regions except the Mid-western region were more likely to have been provided with the recommended dietary diversity. Children of mothers who had attended ≥4 antenatal visits and who lived in the Eastern region were more likely to provide their child with the recommended meal frequency. Children of mothers, who attended ≥ 4 antenatal visits, were educated and whose fathers had at least a secondary education were more likely to meet the recommended acceptable diet standards.Conclusion: Young children aged less than two years in Nepal are at risk for not meeting the WHO recommended infant feeding standards given that only about one in three children were provided with the recommended dietary diversity and acceptable diet. This finding suggests that the majority of children are at risk of under nutrition. An appropriate mix of health education and food supplements could be a feasible option for Nepal to improve the number of children who meet the recommended infant feeding guidelines, reduce under nutrition and improve the survival rates of young children