scholarly journals Scaling up breastfeeding policy and programs in Samoa: application of the Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly initiative

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Soti-Ulberg ◽  
◽  
Amber Hromi-Fiedler ◽  
Nicola L. Hawley ◽  
Take Naseri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Role Models ◽  
Infant Health ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
National Level ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Maternal And Infant Health ◽  
Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly ◽  
Breastfeeding Policy

Abstract Background Breastfeeding is a critical, evidence-based intervention that addresses malnutrition, improves early childhood development outcomes, and influences long-term maternal and infant health by reducing the non-communicable disease risk. Scaling up breastfeeding is an indisputably strong action countries can take to prevent suboptimal maternal and infant health outcomes. The Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly (BBF) initiative assists countries with scaling up breastfeeding policy and programs. BBF has been successfully implemented within Latin America, Africa, Europe and South-East Asian regions. This study assessed its application in Samoa. Methods In 2018, BBF was implemented in Samoa by a 20 member committee of breastfeeding experts who participated in collecting and utilizing national level data to score the degree of friendliness of Samoa’s breastfeeding environment, identify gaps, and propose policy recommendations to address those gaps. This eight-month process resulted in a public event where priority recommendations were widely disseminated to decision makers and actions agreed upon. Results The total BBF Index score for Samoa was 1.6 out of 3.0, indicating a moderate breastfeeding friendly environment for scaling up policies and programs that protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. Gear total scores indicated that seven of the eight gears were moderately strong within Samoa, while the eighth gear, funding and resources, was weakest in strength. Six prioritized recommendations emerged: 1) development and implementation of a National Breastfeeding Policy and Strategic Action Plan; 2) strengthening monitoring and evaluation of all breastfeeding activities; 3) ratifying the International Labour Organization’s Maternity Protection Convention 2000 (No 183); 4) identifying high-level advocates to champion and serve as role models for breastfeeding; 5) creation of a national budget line for breastfeeding activities; and 6) hiring of a national breastfeeding coordinator and trainer. Decision makers demonstrated commitment by signing the breastfeeding policy for hospitals ahead of the BBF dissemination meeting and electing to move forward with establishing lactation rooms within government ministries. Conclusion Implementation of BBF in Samoa yielded important policy recommendations that will address current gaps in national level breastfeeding support. The BBF consultation process can be successfully applied to other countries within the Western Pacific region in order to strengthen their breastfeeding programs.

Analyzing Iran’s science and technology foresight programs: recommendations for further practices

foresight ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 312-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Hafezi ◽  
Siavosh Malekifar ◽  
Amirnaser Akhavan
Keyword(s):  
Science And Technology ◽  
National Level ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Three Phase ◽  
Developing Communities ◽  
Developed World

PurposeStudying previous science and technology (S&T) foresight activities reveals information that helps decision makers to redesign policy-making templates aimed at dealing with new millennium challenges. To propose policy recommendations about further S&T foresight programs in Iran, this paper aims to propose a three-phase process to study historical S&T foresight activities at national and sub-national level since 2005 to 2015, to analyze the state of selected activities to discover weaknesses and potential solutions and, finally, to provide strategies and tactics to improve further S&T foresight activities through an expert-based process.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides a three-stage methodology, designed to survey Iranian historical foresight practices (study) using scoping framework equipped with additional features, diagnosis and evaluating (analyze) and finally proposing recommendations to organize and implement more efficient further foresight practices (design) to initialize further practices in developing countries such as Iran.FindingsAlthough concerns about future and the importance of foresight activities are raised however Iranian foresight community needs to be developed. As noted in Section 5, Iranian foresight facilitators and specialist are biased to limited methodologies and methods; therefore, creating foresight networks and developing communities is strongly recommended.Research limitations/implicationsThe main constraint of this research was lack of valid data in the case of some Iranian S&T foresight programs.Originality/valueIran as a developing country needs to plan for long-run programs; however, there is no integrated study which reviews and analyzes the previous attempts to dedicate insights about how to reframe existing foresight paradigms. As foresight practices facilitate the paths toward sustainability, analyzing and diagnosis of a series of foresight practices in a devolving country may initialize designing such efforts in less developed world.

scholarly journals Road Safety Management ‒ The Need for a Systematic Approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andras Varhelyi
Keyword(s):  
Road Safety ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
National Level ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Statistical Life ◽  
Research Findings

In order to achieve significant improvements in road safety at the national level, there is a need for a systematic approach to road safety management with clear responsibilities and accountability. In this paper – after a review of the literature on guidelines, recommendations and research findings – twelve essential elements of such a systematic approach are pointed out, and corresponding relevant issues are discussed. These elements are: 1) Define the burden and nature of road casualties; 2) Gain commitment and support from decision makers; 3) Establish road safety policy; 4) Define institutional roles and responsibilities; 5) Identify road safety problems; 6) Set road safety targets; 7) Formulate a strategy and action plan; 8) Allocate responsibility for measures; 9) Ensure funding; 10) Apply measures with known effectiveness; 11) Monitor performance; and 12) Stimulate research and capacity building. The main conclusions are that: a) Monetary values of statistical life have to be established; b) The police register of accidents should be combined with the hospital register; c) Exposure data for all types of road users is necessary; d) The three-dimensional analysis of road safety problems should be employed; e) Safety performance indicators should be used; f) Only countermeasures with known effectiveness should be applied; g) Performance of countermeasures should be monitored on a yearly basis; and h) Commitment from decision makers is decisive!

European experience in transition to circular economy

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 598-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.V. Ratner
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
National Level ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Scientific Methods ◽  
European Experience ◽  
General Scientific ◽  
The Eu

Subject. The article considers the concept of circular economy, which has originated relatively recently in the academic literature, and is now increasingly recognized in many countries at the national level. In the European Union, the transition to circular economy is viewed as an opportunity to improve competitiveness of the European Union, protect businesses from resource shortages and fluctuating prices for raw materials and supplies, and a way to increase employment and innovation. Objectives. The aim of the study is to analyze the incentives developed by the European Commission for moving to circular economy, and to assess their effectiveness on the basis of statistical analysis. Methods. I employ general scientific methods of research. Results. The analysis of the EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy enabled to conclude that the results of the recent research in circular economy barriers, eco-innovation, technology and infrastructure were successfully integrated into the framework of this document. Understanding the root causes holding back the circular economy development and the balanced combination of economic and administrative incentives strengthened the Action Plan, and it contributed to the circular economy development in the EU. Conclusions. The measures to stimulate the development of the circular economy proposed in the European Action Plan can be viewed as a prototype for designing similar strategies in other countries, including Russia. Meanwhile, a more detailed analysis of barriers to the circular economy at the level of individual countries and regions is needed.

Peningkatan Pengetahuan Calon Pengantin Melalui Konseling ASI Eksklusif di Kecamatan Darul Imarah Aceh Besar

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-42
Author(s):  
Agus Hendra Al-Rahmad
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Exclusive Breastfeeding ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Random Assignment ◽  
Nutrition And Health ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Child Stunting ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Breastfeeding Counseling

Background : Scaling Up Nutrition movement is a global effort to strengthen our commitment and accelerating action plan to improve nutrition, particularly the handling of nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life is exclusive breastfeeding and it until 24 months. One of the way is with exclusive breastfeeding counselling that can reduce stunting. The counseling is addressed to brides who need special attention in improving the nutrition and health. Objective : The aim of research to improve knowledge about exclusive breastfeeding counseling the bride through the use of leaflets. Method : This quasi-experimental study was a sample of 30 person a brides with non-random assignment, the variable a knowledge obtained through interviews using questionnaires while the method of counseling does face to face with an exclusive breastfeeding leaflet. The data was analyzed by dependent t-test. Result : The results showed exclusive breastfeeding counseling can improve knowledge bride (p= 0,000) with a mean difference is 6,13 and a deviation is 3,71. Conclusion : Increase of knowledge among ‘bride-to be’ about exclusive breastfeeding could be improved through the use of exclusive breastfeeding leaflet. Each health center must be in collaboration with Office of Religious Affairs to have exclusive breastfeeding counseling, and set one of the priority programs in the prevention of child stunting.   Keywords: Bride, counseling, knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding

Policy Recommendations to Reduce Toxic Exposures for Nail Salon Workers

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 43-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Liou ◽  
Catherine Porter ◽  
Thu Quach
Keyword(s):  
National Level ◽  
Safety Information ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Government Oversight ◽  
Regulatory Perspective ◽  
Nail Salon ◽  
Health And Safety Issues ◽  
Nail Salon Workers

The nail salon sector is growing rapidly. Nail salon workers are predominantly Vietnamese immigrant women who are exposed to numerous harmful chemicals in nail care products. The situation is exacerbated by limited safety information, language barriers to information, and lack of government oversight. This brief discusses the health and safety issues faced by workers at the nexus of environmental and worker justice and the policy recommendations by which to address these issues from a public health and regulatory perspective. Although these policy recommendations pertain to California where the sector is largest, they also have far-reaching implications at the national level.

scholarly journals An evaluation of the Victorian Salt Reduction Partnership’s advocacy strategy for policy change

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emalie Rosewarne ◽  
Michael Moore ◽  
Wai-Kwan Chislett ◽  
Alexandra Jones ◽  
Kathy Trieu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Policy Change ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Health Advocacy ◽  
Salt Reduction ◽  
Public Health Advocacy ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Public health advocacy strategies facilitate policy change by bringing key health issues to the forefront of public and political discourse, influencing decision-makers and public opinion, and increasing policy demand. The Victorian Salt Reduction Partnership (VSRP) was established in 2014 in response to inadequate government action to improve population diets in Australia. This study aimed to evaluate the success of the VSRP’s advocacy strategy in achieving policy change. Methods Documentation of VSRP activities and outputs were collected, and semi-structured interviews conducted as part of a comprehensive process evaluation. For this study, the Kotter Plus 10-step public health advocacy evaluation framework was used to guide data extraction, analysis, and synthesis. Results A sense of urgency for salt reduction was generated by producing evidence and outlining the potential impact of a state-based salt reduction programme. This enabled the creation of a coalition with diverse skills and expertise, which facilitated the development of an innovative and collaborative advocacy action plan. A clear change vision was established, but communication of the vision to decision-makers was lacking, which reduced the impact of the programme as decision-makers were not provided with a clear incentive for policy change. As a result, while programme outputs were achieved, these did not translate to achieving broader strategic goals during a limited-term intervention in a political climate unconcerned with salt. Conclusions The Kotter Plus 10-step framework was a useful tool for evaluating the success of the VSRP advocacy strategy. The framework enabled the identification of key strengths, including the creation of the guiding coalition, and areas where efforts could be improved in future similar strategies, such as effective communication within partnerships and to decision-makers, to better influence policy and improve public health impact.

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