Developing strategies to attract, retain and support midwives in rural fragile settings: participatory workshops with health system stakeholders in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract Background Midwifery plays a vital role in the quality of care as well as rapid and sustained reductions in maternal and newborn mortality. Like most other sub-Saharan African countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo experiences shortages and inequitable distribution of health workers, particularly in rural areas and fragile settings. The aim of this study was to identify strategies that can help to attract, support and retain midwives in the fragile and rural Ituri province. Methods A qualitative participatory research design, through a workshop methodology, was used in this study. Participatory workshops were held in Bunia, Aru and Adja health districts in Ituri Province with provincial, district and facility managers, midwives and nurses, and non-governmental organisation, church medical coordination and nursing school representatives. In these workshops, data on the availability and distribution of midwives as well as their experiences in providing midwifery services were presented and discussed, followed by the development of strategies to attract, retain and support midwives. The workshops were digitally recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed using NVivo 12. Results The study revealed that participants acknowledged that most of the policies in relation to rural attraction and retention of health workers were not implemented, whilst a few have been partially put in place. Key strategies embedded in the realities of the rural fragile Ituri province were proposed, including organising midwifery training in nursing schools located in rural areas; recruiting students from rural areas; encouraging communities to use health services and thus generate more income; lobbying non-governmental organisations and churches to support the improvement of midwives’ living and working conditions; and integrating traditional birth attendants in health facilities. Contextual solutions were proposed to overcome challenges. Conclusion Midwives are key skilled birth attendants managing maternal and newborn healthcare in rural areas. Ensuring their availability through effective attraction and retention strategies is essential in fragile and rural settings. This participatory approach through a workshop methodology that engages different stakeholders and builds on available data, can promote learning health systems and develop pragmatic strategies for the attraction and retention of health workers in fragile remote and rural settings.

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Creative Reconstruction: A Systematic Approach to Reinventing Large Cities in Democratic Republic of Congo

JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH ◽

10.24297/jssr.v8i1.3609 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 1485-1497

Author(s):

Mia Nsokimieno Misilu Eric

Keyword(s):

Cultural Values ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Mineral Resources ◽

Capital City ◽

African Countries ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Large Cities ◽

Current State ◽

Legacy Cities

The current state of large cities in Democratic Republic of Congo highlights the necessity of reinventing cities. More than fifty years after the independence, these major cities, like Kinshasa the capital city, are in a state of are in a state of disrepair. They are damaged, dysfunctional, and more vulnerable. Today, these legacy cities do not meet the international requirements of livable cities. Democratic Republic of Congo faces the challenge of rebuilding its cities for sustainability. The movement for independence of African countries enabled the shift from colonial cities to legacy cities. It is important to understand the cultural and ideological foundations of colonial city. Commonly, colonial cities served as purpose-built settlements for the extraction and transport of mineral resources toward Europe. What's required is a creative reconstruction to achieve a desired successful urban change. Creative reconstruction tends to ensure urban transformation in relation with urbanization, by making continuous and healthy communities. Creative reconstruction seems appropriate way of building back cities in harmony with cultural values. The article provides a framework for urban regeneration. The study is based on principle of thinking globally and acting locally in building back better cities.

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Evaluation of the Cost of Production of Fish Clarias gariepinus Burchell, 1822 (Siluriformes, Clariidae) with Three Types of Food Based on Local Agricultural by-products in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Agricultural Science ◽

10.30560/as.v2n1p205 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. p205

Author(s):

Victor Pwema Kiamfu ◽

Alex Mayoni Matondo ◽

Santos Kavumbu Mutanda ◽

Clément Munganga Kilingwa ◽

Nadine Bipendu Muamba ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Agricultural Waste ◽

Clarias Gariepinus ◽

Fish Growth ◽

Average Weight ◽

African Countries ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

The One ◽

By Products

Clarias gariepinus Burchell, 1822 is a catfish with high commercial value in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in several African countries. The breeding of this species is controlled, but Congolese fish farmers are confronted with the problem of a lack of compound feed in the form of granules. The recovery of local agricultural waste would be essential to fill this gap. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of three types of food based on local agricultural by-products on the growth of C. gariepinus. The 25%, 41% and 51% crude protein feed formulas were tested in duplicate for 96 days. Fry averaging 2.20±0.43 g were distributed in 6 closed-loop plastic containers. The fish were fed twice a day by hand. Weighing and measuring took place every 14 days. The results obtained show that the highest final average weight (g) and specific growth rate (%/d) (F = 2.87; p = 0.002) are obtained with food A1: 27.5±1.9 g and 0.25±0.15% /d respectively. It took 812.6 Congolese francs to develop food A1, 942.6 congolese francs to produce the A2 ration and 836.6 congolese francs to produce food A3. The A1 ration is the one that gave a better compromise in price and quality by promoting fish growth at a lower cost (3.827 congolese francs).

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Rwanda

Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198837336.003.0043 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Marius Schneider ◽

Vanessa Ferguson

Keyword(s):

East Africa ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Republic Of Congo

Found in East Africa, Rwanda borders the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Uganda, and Burundi. It is a hilly and fertile landlocked state of 26,338 square kilometres (km). It is one of the smallest countries on the continent but is densely populated with 12.2 million people in 2017. Kigali is the capital of and largest city in Rwanda. It is also Rwanda’s economic, cultural, and transport hub and is found in the centre of the country. Most of the population lives in rural areas. Rwanda has a forty-five-hour working week and the currency used is Rwandan franc (FRW).

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A quantitative comparison of frugivorous tephritids (Diptera: Tephritidae) in tropical forests and rural areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485311000216 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 101 (5) ◽

pp. 591-597 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

M. Virgilio ◽

T. Backeljau ◽

R. Emeleme ◽

J.L. Juakali ◽

M. De Meyer

Keyword(s):

Tropical Forests ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Small Scale ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Rural Villages ◽

Congo River ◽

Disturbed Habitats

AbstractMost of the current knowledge about African tephritids originates from studies performed in agricultural areas, while information about their distribution in pristine or moderately disturbed environments is extremely scarce. This study aims at (i) describing levels of spatial variability of frugivorous tephritids in tropical forests and small rural villages of the Congo River basin and (ii) verifying if human-mediated activities, such as small-scale agriculture and trade, can affect their distribution patterns. Four locations were sampled along a 250 km stretch of the Congo River. At each location, pristine and disturbed habitats (i.e. tropical forests and small rural villages, respectively) were sampled, with three replicate sites in each combination of habitat and location. Sampling with modified McPhail traps baited with four different attractants yielded 819 tephritid specimens of 29 species from seven genera (Bactrocera, Carpophthoromyia, Ceratitis, Dacus, Celidodacus, Perilampsis, Trirhithrum). The three most abundant species sampled (Dacus bivittatus, D. punctatifrons, Bactrocera invadens) showed significant variations in abundance across locations and sites and accounted for 98.29% of the overall dissimilarity between habitats. Assemblages differed among locations and sites while they showed significant differences between pristine and disturbed habitats in two out of the four locations. This study shows that frugivorous tephritids in central Congo have remarkably patchy distributions with differences among locations and sites representing the main source of variability. Our data show that, in rural villages of central Democratic Republic of Congo, human activities, such as small-scale agriculture and local commerce, are not always sufficient to promote differences between the tephritid assemblages of villages and those of the surrounding tropical forests.

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How should community health workers in fragile contexts be supported: Qualitative evidence from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Democratic Republic of Congo

10.21203/rs.3.rs-27544/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Joanna Raven ◽

Haja Wurie ◽

Ayesha Idriss ◽

Abdulai Jawo Bah ◽

Amuda Baba ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Community Health ◽

Sierra Leone ◽

Community Health Workers ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Health Workers ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Community Support ◽

Health Coverage ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

And Performance

Abstract Background: Community Health Workers (CHWs) are critical players in fragile settings, where staff shortages are particularly acute, health indicators are poor and progress towards Universal Health Coverage is slow. Like other health workers, CHWs need support to contribute effectively to health programmes and promote health equity. Yet the evidence base of what kind of support works best is weak. We present evidence from three fragile settings - Sierra Leone, Liberia and Democratic Republic of Congo on managing CHWs, and synthesise recommendations for best approaches to support this critical cadre.Methods: We used a qualitative study design to explore how CHWs are managed, the challenges they face and potential solutions. We conducted interviews with decision makers and managers (n=37), life history interviews with CHWs (n=15) and reviewed policy documents. Results: Fragility disrupts education of community members so that they may not have the literacy levels required for the CHW role. This has implications for the selection, role, training and performance of CHWs. Policy preferences about selection need discussion at the community level, so that they reflect community realities. CHWs scope of work is varied and may change over time, requiring ongoing training. The modular, local, and mix of practical and classroom training approach worked well, helping to address gender and literacy challenges and developing a supportive cohort of CHWs. A package of supervision, community support, regular provision of supplies, performance rewards and regular remuneration is vital to retention and performance of CHWs. But there are challenges with supervision, scarcity of supplies, inadequate community recognition and unfulfilled promises about allowances. Clear communication about incentives with facility staff and communities is required as is their timely delivery.Conclusions: This is the first study that has explored the management of CHWs in fragile settings. CHWs interface role between communities and health systems is critical because of their embedded positionality and the trusting relationships they (often) have. Their challenges are aligned to those generally faced by CHWs but chronic fragility exacerbates them and requires innovative problem solving to ensure that countries and communities are not left behind in reforming the way that CHWs are supported.

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Etude de la néologie terminologique en Bantu: cas de la cilubalisation des termes français des équipements et matériels de bureau

Afrika Focus ◽

10.21825/af.v26i1.4933 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Gilbert Kadima Batumona Adi

Keyword(s):

Public Administration ◽

Word Processing ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

African Countries ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Equipment And Supplies ◽

Modern Culture ◽

Western Countries ◽

Office Equipment

The Democratic Republic of Congo, like many African countries, has an important public and private administration, but one whose performance and productivity are generally considered to be low. Numerous efforts to modernize and improve the productivity of this administration have been made, notably by recourse to modern office equipment and supplies. In this doctoral study we label the equipment and supplies under the denomination of western technologies which signals their provenance. A close examination of the documents which catalogue and describe the functioning of these technologies, reveals that the overwhelming majority of these documents are written in either French or in English. In other words, the western technologies which are used in the Congolese public administration are denominated in the idioms of theirs designers and their operations are described in the same idioms. These technologies which range from simple to sophisticated tools (equipment for word processing or for electronic transmission of data) can be considered as the symbols of modern culture which generally is dominated by the western countries and some industrialized nations of Asia (Korea, Japan, Taiwan). The technologies are objects that are foreign to the cultures of Africa and the Congo. With regard to this situation, we argue that these imported western technologies must be localized when they arrive in African countries. To be localized means that the relevant documents be translated into the languages of the host countries in order to improve the efficiency with which the users are able to use the technologies. Our research demonstrates that when these imported technologies arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo they are frequently under-utilized. This is because the occidental languages predominate in the operation documentation which are oriented for use within the social and legal contexts of western countries. Our analyses indicate that this under-utilization is essentially due to a terminological deficiency based on an assumption that the Congolese national languages are not sufficiently able to support the imported technologies. Our analyses also show that this assisted modernization of public administration in the Democratic Republic of Congo with the recourse to western technologies simultaneously poses organizational, economic and linguistic problems. Our conclusions not only point to operation difficulties but also to dif culties operators have nding the correct terms, which makes it more likely that items will be named in their own languages. It is in this context that we identify the link between economics and linguistics. From a linguistics position, the need of multilingual terminological research is clear, research that supports the users in the efforts to adapt their languages as languages of reception for these imported technologies. Eager to explore this eld in connection with the Bantu languages and cultures we began our research for the thesis. Our thesis is articulated around four following ac- tivities: (i) development of the nomenclature having to be used as a sample of the study; (ii) the globalization or the methodological route of the terminological appropriation of western technologies which are addressed by our research; (iii) the study of the denominating terms of the afore-mentioned technologies; (iv) the study of the mechanism of an apparatus with regard to technical terms in Ciluba. The four activities outlined above will be developed over a planned eight chapters which constitute our thesis. This approach provides the focus for our research objectives, all of which are informed by one overriding need: providing the ciluba with one specialized glossary of office equipment and supplies. Key words: Neology, terminology, translation, language planning, Bantu African languages, Ciluba, development of resourced languages, equipment and office supplies, applied linguistics

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