scholarly journals Introduction

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Uma Lele
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
The Face ◽  
Asian Tigers ◽  
Food Security And Nutrition

This book critically examines the roles played by developing countries, in partnership with major multilateral agencies and their bilateral counterparts, in addressing agricultural and rural development as a way to achieve economic transformation and food for all. The book explores the questions of what member nations of the United Nations, working with international organizations, have been able to achieve thus far in food and agriculture and in economic transformation; how they have responded to the rapidly changing external environment and factors internal to the organizations; and how well equipped they are to address future challenges of poverty, food security and nutrition, inequality, climate change, degradation of natural resources, and conflict, in the face of rapidly deteriorating natural resources and advancing science. Discovering the answers to these questions makes this discussion all the more urgent. Most importantly, we explore the roles of the traditional international organizations established in the post-Second World War period vis-à-vis new actors, philanthropists, and the private sector in contributing to growth and development. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the structural weaknesses among the mightiest economies of income inequalities, lack of universal access to health, and lack of trust in government. Smaller Asian Tigers—Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea—in addition to China, where the pandemic originated—had smarter responses, demonstrating their superior state capacity. What are the lessons of history for national, regional, and global governance?

Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture for sustainable development

2021 ◽  
pp. 3-34
Author(s):  
Chikelu Mba ◽  
◽  
M. Ehsan Dulloo ◽  
Kent Nnadozie ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Resources ◽  
Plant Genetic Resources ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Benefit Sharing ◽  
Access And Benefit Sharing ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
The Face ◽  
Global Coordination ◽  
Food Security And Nutrition ◽  
Technological Methods

Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, a common concern of all countries, are critically important for the sustainable production of the significantly more nutritious food needed to feed an ever-growing population in the face of climate change and other drivers. This entails the translation of the potentials encoded into their genetic blueprints into improved productivities. The relevant international agreements, instruments and mechanisms, which address the conservation, sustainable use and access and benefit-sharing for these resources, are reviewed along with their remarkable contributions to food security and nutrition. The chapter also highlights the state-of-the-art for the scientific and technological methods used to conserve and add value through genetic gains to these resources. Underscoring the importance of collaborations at various scales, we call for continued global coordination and partnerships on the internationally agreed activities for conserving effectively and deriving the most benefits sustainably from these irreplaceable resources.

scholarly journals Food for All: Setting the Scene

2021 ◽  
pp. 9-60
Author(s):  
Uma Lele ◽  
Sambuddha Goswami
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Structural Transformation ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Dietary Transition ◽  
The Face

Setting the scene, this chapter identifies key recent international agreements germane to the book’s subject matter—namely, Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Accord—against which the role of structural transformation and the five key international organizations concerned with food and agriculture are reviewed. Transformation of food and agriculture is occurring in the face of growing trade uncertainties, demographic transition, rapid urbanization, dietary transition, and growing horizontal (cross-sectoral) and vertical (from farm-to-fork) integration. Meanwhile, conflict has caused the largest displacement of humans since the Second World War. Forced migration arising from humanitarian disasters is making unprecedented demands on food and financial assistance. Economists traditionally have viewed structural transformation from agriculture to manufacturing as pivotal for developing countries, but it has become increasingly difficult for lagging countries. Other transformations are also reshaping the global economy, including financial transformation (a shift from traditional North–South global savings and investment pattern to South–North), and energy transformation (shift from fossil fuels to renewables). Concurrently, the food and agricultural sectors are confronting new paradigms—such as environmentally sustainable food production and shifting focus in agriculture from individual energy (calorie) supply to nutritious, healthful foods, leading to a life-cycle approach to diets—which are influencing how the international development community views structural transformation and the role of agriculture. This chapter sets the stage for inquiries into food, transformations, international organizations and their interactions, and implications for a better outcome: nutritious food for all that is environmentally sustainable.

The Prophetic Voice of the Church in a Democratic South Africa – A Theological Reflection

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lufuluvhi Maria Mudimeli
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
The State ◽  
Black Liberation ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Black Liberation Theology ◽  
Prophetic Voice ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Church

This article is a reflection on the role and contribution of the church in a democratic South Africa. The involvement of the church in the struggle against apartheid is revisited briefly. The church has played a pivotal and prominent role in bringing about democracy by being a prophetic voice that could not be silenced even in the face of death. It is in this time of democracy when real transformation is needed to take its course in a realistic way, where the presence of the church has probably been latent and where it has assumed an observer status. A look is taken at the dilemmas facing the church. The church should not be bound and taken captive by any form of loyalty to any political organisation at the expense of the poor and the voiceless. A need for cooperation and partnership between the church and the state is crucial at this time. This paper strives to address the role of the church as a prophetic voice in a democratic South Africa. Radical economic transformation, inequality, corruption, and moral decadence—all these challenges hold the potential to thwart our young democracy and its ideals. Black liberation theology concepts are employed to explore how the church can become prophetically relevant in democracy. Suggestions are made about how the church and the state can best form partnerships. In avoiding taking only a critical stance, the church could fulfil its mandate “in season and out of season” and continue to be a prophetic voice on behalf of ordinary South Africans.

scholarly journals Estimating the local spatio‐temporal distribution of malaria from routine health information systems in areas of low health care access and reporting

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Hyde ◽  
Matthew H. Bonds ◽  
Felana A. Ihantamalala ◽  
Ann C. Miller ◽  
Laura F. Cordier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Malaria Incidence ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Passive Surveillance ◽  
Transmission Season ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Geographic Access To Care

Abstract Background Reliable surveillance systems are essential for identifying disease outbreaks and allocating resources to ensure universal access to diagnostics and treatment for endemic diseases. Yet, most countries with high disease burdens rely entirely on facility-based passive surveillance systems, which miss the vast majority of cases in rural settings with low access to health care. This is especially true for malaria, for which the World Health Organization estimates that routine surveillance detects only 14% of global cases. The goal of this study was to develop a novel method to obtain accurate estimates of disease spatio-temporal incidence at very local scales from routine passive surveillance, less biased by populations' financial and geographic access to care. Methods We use a geographically explicit dataset with residences of the 73,022 malaria cases confirmed at health centers in the Ifanadiana District in Madagascar from 2014 to 2017. Malaria incidence was adjusted to account for underreporting due to stock-outs of rapid diagnostic tests and variable access to healthcare. A benchmark multiplier was combined with a health care utilization index obtained from statistical models of non-malaria patients. Variations to the multiplier and several strategies for pooling neighboring communities together were explored to allow for fine-tuning of the final estimates. Separate analyses were carried out for individuals of all ages and for children under five. Cross-validation criteria were developed based on overall incidence, trends in financial and geographical access to health care, and consistency with geographic distribution in a district-representative cohort. The most plausible sets of estimates were then identified based on these criteria. Results Passive surveillance was estimated to have missed about 4 in every 5 malaria cases among all individuals and 2 out of every 3 cases among children under five. Adjusted malaria estimates were less biased by differences in populations’ financial and geographic access to care. Average adjusted monthly malaria incidence was nearly four times higher during the high transmission season than during the low transmission season. By gathering patient-level data and removing systematic biases in the dataset, the spatial resolution of passive malaria surveillance was improved over ten-fold. Geographic distribution in the adjusted dataset revealed high transmission clusters in low elevation areas in the northeast and southeast of the district that were stable across seasons and transmission years. Conclusions Understanding local disease dynamics from routine passive surveillance data can be a key step towards achieving universal access to diagnostics and treatment. Methods presented here could be scaled-up thanks to the increasing availability of e-health disease surveillance platforms for malaria and other diseases across the developing world.

scholarly journals Advanced Practice Nursing: A Strategy for Achieving Universal Health Coverage and Universal Access to Health

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Bryant-Lukosius ◽  
Ruta Valaitis ◽  
Ruth Martin-Misener ◽  
Faith Donald ◽  
Laura Morán Peña ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Advanced Practice Nursing ◽  
Advanced Practice ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Universal Health ◽  
Role Implementation

ABSTRACT Objective: to examine advanced practice nursing (APN) roles internationally to inform role development in Latin America and the Caribbean to support universal health coverage and universal access to health. Method: we examined literature related to APN roles, their global deployment, and APN effectiveness in relation to universal health coverage and access to health. Results: given evidence of their effectiveness in many countries, APN roles are ideally suited as part of a primary health care workforce strategy in Latin America to enhance universal health coverage and access to health. Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico are well positioned to build this workforce. Role implementation barriers include lack of role clarity, legislation/regulation, education, funding, and physician resistance. Strong nursing leadership to align APN roles with policy priorities, and to work in partnership with primary care providers and policy makers is needed for successful role implementation. Conclusions: given the diversity of contexts across nations, it is important to systematically assess country and population health needs to introduce the most appropriate complement and mix of APN roles and inform implementation. Successful APN role introduction in Latin America and the Caribbean could provide a roadmap for similar roles in other low/middle income countries.

Asta-Ja Framework: A Peaceful Approach to Food, Water, Climate, and Environmental Security Coupled with Sustainable Economic Development and Social Inclusion in Nepal

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Durga D Poudel
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
Environmental Security ◽  
Development Framework ◽  
Sustainable Conservation

Sustainable conservation, development, and utilization of natural and human resources is necessary for accelerated economic growth and fast-paced socio-economic transformation of Nepal. Asta-Ja Framework, which is a theoretically grounded grassroots based peaceful and self-reliant planning and development approach, offers practical strategies for sustainable conservation and development of natural and human resources enhancing food, water, climate, and environmental security, accelerated economic growth, and socio-economic transformation of Nepal. Asta-Ja includes interconnected eight resources in Nepali letter, Ja, – Jal (water), Jamin (land), Jungle (forest), Jadibuti (medicinal and aromatic plants), Janashakti (manpower), Janawar (animal), Jarajuri (crop plants) and Jalabayu (climate). Asta-Ja Framework is a unifying framework for planning and resources development and has a strong footing on science, business, and eastern philosophy. While providing practical guidelines for achieving food, water, climate and environmental security, this article presents Nepal Vision 2040, which is developed considering challenges that Nepal is currently facing and its available Asta-Ja resources, envisioning that Nepal’s economic development reaching at the par of developed nations by 2040. Key strategic sectors identified in Nepal Vision 2040 include smallholder mixed-farming system, agro-jadibuti industrialization, protection of drinking water sources, climate change adaptation, environmental pollution control, conservation of natural resources, infrastructure, tourism, renewable energy, alleviation of inequalities, and good governance. This article demonstrates strategies for addressing social discrimination and inequalities through the process of Asta-Ja community capacity-building and self-reliant development. Ecological balance of Asta-Ja resources is necessary for sustainable natural resources, economic development, and community resiliency. The Government of Nepal is suggested to adopt Asta-Ja Framework as its national planning and development framework for sustainable economic growth and fast-paced socio-economic transformation of the country.

A Framework and Indicators for Monitoring Gender Equality and Health in the Americas

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Executive Summary ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Health Experts

[Executive Summary]. Member States of the Region of the Americas have committed to the Strategy for Universal Access to Health and Universal Health Coverage (CD53. R14). At the same time, health experts and policymakers in many parts of the world have begun to set new targets and benchmarks in follow-up to the Sustainable Development Goals and Targets adopted by the United Nations (UN) in September 2015. As part of these processes, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is working with the countries of the Americas to ensure that related resolutions, strategies, and action plans are supported with appropriate frameworks and data for monitoring and evaluating gender equality in health. The purpose of this document is to propose an updated framework and set of core indicators for monitoring advances on gender equality in health in the Region, within the framework of renewed regional commitment to health...

scholarly journals Universal Access to Health and Universal Health Coverage: identification of nursing research priorities in Latin America

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1195-1208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Helena De Bortoli Cassiani ◽  
Alessandra Bassalobre-Garcia ◽  
Ludovic Reveiz
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Research Funding ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Nursing Research ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
Universal Health

Objective: To estabilish a regional list for nursing research priorities in health systems and services in the Region of the Americas based on the concepts of Universal Access to Health and Universal Health Coverage. Method: five-stage consensus process: systematic review of literature; appraisal of resulting questions and topics; ranking of the items by graduate program coordinators; discussion and ranking amongst a forum of researchers and public health leaders; and consultation with the Ministries of Health of the Pan American Health Organization's member states. Results: the resulting list of nursing research priorities consists of 276 study questions/ topics, which are sorted into 14 subcategories distributed into six major categories: 1. Policies and education of nursing human resources; 2. Structure, organization and dynamics of health systems and services; 3. Science, technology, innovation, and information systems in public health; 4. Financing of health systems and services; 5. Health policies, governance, and social control; and 6. Social studies in the health field. Conclusion: the list of nursing research priorities is expected to serve as guidance and support for nursing research on health systems and services across Latin America. Not only researchers, but also Ministries of Health, leaders in public health, and research funding agencies are encouraged to use the results of this list to help inform research-funding decisions.

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