Building capacity in neurodevelopment assessment of children in sub-Saharan Africa: A quality assurance model to implement standardized neurodevelopment testing

This article examines how effective quality assurance mechanisms can help address three challenges facing scaling-up efforts in supply chains for complementary foods in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): sourcing, market size and consumer trust. We use supply chain analysis to evaluate how stakeholder actions and relationships influence the dynamics of complementary food markets in SSA. We argue that effective signalling of credence attributes via credible quality assurance can contribute to the sustainability of local complementary food supply chains and once established, may contribute to the long-term affordability, accessibility and availability of these foods in SSA. The article concludes by stressing that allocating resources for establishing or further implementing regional and/or state-level quality assurance mechanisms for food safety and quality requires the coordination of stakeholder actions to address food insecurity across SSA.

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Suboptimal Utilisation of Resources in Sub-Saharan African Higher Education Institutions: the Case of Teaching Space at Makerere University

Journal of Science and Sustainable Development ◽

10.4314/jssd.v5i1.2 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 13-27

Author(s):

J Ssempebwa ◽

SO Owolabi ◽

FEK Bakkabulindi

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Quality Assurance ◽

Educational Administration ◽

Higher Education Institutions ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Makerere University ◽

Quality Of Higher Education ◽

Need To Evaluate ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

The University

Many higher education institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa are underfunded.Consequently, they are operating with encumbering resources constraints that threaten quality assurance. Accordingly, they are working to expand the availability of these resources. Notwithstanding, it is taken for granted that once available, these resources are optimally utilized and that, in instances expanding their availability is not possible, compromising on some elements of the quality of higher education is inevitable. The problem is that this presumption could disguise inadequacies in the utilization of the resources, with the consequence that the institutions’ need for the resources is exaggerated. Preoccupation with expanding the availability of resources could also stifle the innovation of creative ways of making the best use of the resources available. This means that the institutions need to evaluate their utilization of these resources—to pinpoint their need for the resources and potential for quality assurance. This paper reports the findings of a study that responded to this need, taking the case of teaching space at Makerere University. The objective ofthe study was to verify the hypothesis that the University is teaching space constrained. The findings were that the resource is overly underutilized albeit this was disguised by occasional overutilization of the same space, a concomitance that only multidimensional evaluation could unearth. Accordingly, the study gives credence to the hypothesis that shortages of resources at the University, and similar institutions, are ostensible. Therefore, it is recommended that these institutions subject their utilization of resources to rigorous evaluation.Keywords · Resources management · Higher education funding · Educational administration

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Legal Frameworks for Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa

International Higher Education ◽

10.6017/ihe.2010.60.8498 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

William Saint

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Quality Assurance ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Private Provision ◽

Governance Quality ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Legal Frameworks

A shortage of research on the legal frameworks for higher education is evident in sub-Saharan Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa wide discrepancies in progress are observed. The reforms commonly promote more representative governance, quality assurance, and private provision. A few countries have enacted substantial changes to their legal frameworks. In other countries reforms have been noteworthy but less bold.

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Quality Assurance in Sub-Saharan Africa

Research in Comparative and International Education ◽

10.2304/rcie.2010.5.1.3 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 3-17 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Peter Materu ◽

Petra Righetti

Keyword(s):

Quality Assurance ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Sub Saharan

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Sub-Saharan Africa’s Perspective of Distance Learning

International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences ◽

10.18052/www.scipress.com/ilshs.48.185 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 48 ◽

pp. 185-191 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nirmal Kumar Betchoo

Keyword(s):

Distance Education ◽

Distance Learning ◽

Review Article ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

The Internet ◽

Tertiary Level ◽

Building Capacity ◽

Traditional Form ◽

Open And Distance Learning ◽

Sub Saharan

This review article follows the author’s participation in the International DEASA Conference held in Mauritius in December 2014. There is a growing concern over the years to develop Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in sub-Saharan Africa based upon the fact that all nations are connected to the Internet and related technologies. In this perspective, the objective of encouraging distance learning comes from the fact that it had existed in Mauritius and several other countries in its traditional form through mail and correspondence courses. The fact that such type of education is gaining more recognition today calls the author to reflect upon how suitably distance education could be imparted in sub-Saharan Africa with the knowledge that it is still in its infancy since Africa is in general lagging behind in technology. There is no excuse given that governments in sub-Saharan Africa believe that distance learning helps building capacity in their respective countries and favours the advancement and growth of individuals. Blending both technology and education followed by governing principles of broadening educational access at the tertiary level might improve opportunities for development and growth. Illustrations are taken from different countries which have both met with the challenges and success of distance learning. It is found out that governments in sub-Saharan Africa need to move forward with bolder initiatives to ensure the success of open and distance learning in the region.

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Is there a role of pharmacogenomics in Africa

Global Health Epidemiology and Genomics ◽

10.1017/gheg.2016.4 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

A. Matimba ◽

M. Dhoro ◽

C. Dandara

Keyword(s):

Clinical Research ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Genome Diversity ◽

Building Capacity ◽

Genetic Mechanisms ◽

Sub Saharan

Pharmacogenomics has the potential of transforming clinical research and improving healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The role of African genome diversity and the opportunities for pharmacogenomics research are highlighted and will enable discovery of novel genetic mechanisms and validation of established markers. African genomics and biobank consortia will play an important role in building capacity for pharmacogenomics in SSA.

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