scholarly journals Development and scale-up of bioprotectants to keep staple foods safe from aflatoxin contamination in Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 587-628
Author(s):  
Ranajit Bandyopadhyay ◽  
◽  
Alejandro Ortega-Beltran ◽  
Matieyedou Konlambigue ◽  
Lawrence Kaptoge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
The United States ◽  
Aflatoxin Contamination ◽  
Barriers To Adoption ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Staple Foods

Aflatoxins pose a significant public health risk, decrease productivity and profitability and hamper trade. To minimize aflatoxin contamination a biocontrol technology based on atoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus that do not produce aflatoxin is used widely in the United States. The technology, with the generic name Aflasafe, has been improved and adapted for use in Africa. Aflasafe products have been developed or are currently being developed in 20 African countries. Aflatoxin biocontrol is being scaled up for use in several African countries through a mix of public, private, and public-private interventions. Farmers in several countries have commercially treated nearly 400,000 ha of maize and groundnut achieving >90% reduction in aflatoxin contamination. This chapter summarizes the biology of aflatoxin-producing fungi and various factors affecting their occurence, including climate change. Various management practices for aflatoxin mitigation are then discussed. These include biological control, which is increasingly being adopted by farmers in several countries. We discuss biocontrol product development and commercialization in various African countries. Subsequently, we highlight some barriers to adoption and other challenges.

scholarly journals 306 Economic perspectives on biosecurity decision-making

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 42-43
Author(s):  
Lee Schulz ◽  
Glynn Tonsor
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Public Good ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Market Access ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lower Probability ◽  
Diarrhea Virus ◽  
Private And Public

Abstract African swine fever and many other livestock diseases present a host of challenges with a myriad of private and public good considerations. Chief among these challenges is identifying what drives livestock producer, self-protecting biosecurity efforts. Biosecurity adoption is an example of a private behavior that generates positive spillovers affecting the supply of a public good, that is, disease prevention. Encouraging producers to undertake specific biosecurity practices has proven useful in containing previous outbreaks of livestock disease in the United States, such as porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. Motivating producers to change production and management practices when a disease is not currently present in the United States can be much more difficult because of the (perceived or actual) lower probability of risk. National surveys of livestock producers were conducted to gain insight into decisions regarding ongoing and prospective biosecurity investment. Findings suggest producer and operation characteristics and diverse views on expected frequency of disease outbreaks, anticipated disease duration, and possible financial impact on operations underlie current and likely future biosecurity adoption. Furthermore, results point to both policy (e.g., indemnity provisions and cost sharing strategies) and market signals (e.g. market access and/or premiums paid or discounts incurred) from upstream livestock buyers have potential to incentivize biosecurity efforts.

scholarly journals Developing a Field of Study in Implementation Science for the Africa Region: The Wits–UNC AIDS Implementation Science Fogarty D43

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-55
Author(s):  
Rohit Ramaswamy ◽  
Tobias Chirwa ◽  
Kathryn Salisbury ◽  
Jabulani Ncayiyana ◽  
Latifat Ibisomi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Implementation Science ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
The United States ◽  
Academic Program ◽  
Global Health Research ◽  
Graduate Degree ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Systematic Assessment ◽  
Hiv Interventions

From 2014 to 2019, the Wits–UNC (University of Witwatersrand and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) AIDS Implementation Science D43 Training Program laid critical academic foundation by creating a graduate degree program in implementation science (IS) for master’s- and doctoral-level students in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Wits School of Public Health. Before this collaboration, funded by the Fogarty International Center (FIC) at National Institutes of Health, no IS degree existed in Southern Africa. The FIC “D43” is an international research training grant mechanism to strengthen global health research expertise through education. Historically, students from low-resource settings have been trained in health sciences at universities in the United States or the United Kingdom. This is not scalable or sustainable and therefore this D43 focused on building capacity in South Africa where HIV-related challenges are located. Consequently, South Africans and other African international students were able to apply to the newly offered program, allowing training at significantly lower costs. IS allows a systematic assessment of factors affecting the implementation of HIV interventions and in developing strategies for addressing them. It guides the successful scale-up of effective programs and informs policy to improve programs. The training aims to assist in lowering the HIV incidence rate, suppressing viral load for those infected, and meeting the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A second cycle of funding from 2019 to 2024 will enable the infrastructure built in the first program to train South African HIV researchers and practitioners in the field who are unable to enroll in a formal academic program.

scholarly journals A Framework for Sustainable Implementation of E-Medicine in Transitioning Countries

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Robert Isabalija ◽  
Victor Mbarika ◽  
Geoffrey Mayoka Kituyi
Keyword(s):  
Technology Transfer ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Research ◽  
Sustainable Implementation ◽  
Sub Saharan

Organizations in developed countries such as the United States of America and Canada face difficulties and challenges in technology transfer from one organization to another; the complexity of problems easily compounds when such transfers are attempted from developed to developing countries due to differing socioeconomic and cultural environments. There is a gap in the formation of research and education programs to address technology transfer issues that go beyond just transferring the technologies to sustaining such transfers for longer periods. This study examined telemedicine transfer challenges in three Sub-Sahara African countries and developed a framework for sustainable implementation of e-medicine. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. The study findings indicate that e-medicine sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa is affected by institutional factors such as institutional environment and knowledge management practices; technical factors such as the technological environment and technology transfer project environment; social environmental factors such as social environment and donor involvement. These factors were used to model the proposed framework.

scholarly journals Current Status of Forest Health Policy in the United States

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gandhi ◽  
Campbell ◽  
Abrams
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Federal Policies ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Future Policy ◽  
Sustainability Challenges ◽  
And Control

ederal policies related to forestry and forest health (specifically, insects and diseases) have the potential to affect management practices, terms of international and interstate trade, and long-term sustainability and conservation. Our objectives were to review existing federal policies, the role of federal agencies in managing forest health, and guidance for future policy efforts. Since the 1940s, various federal policies relevant to forest health have been established, and several US Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies have been empowered to assist with prevention, quarantine, detection, management, and control of insects and diseases. Overall, our review showed that relatively few national policies directly address forest health as a stand-alone objective, as most of them are embedded within forestry bills. Federal funding for forest health issues and the number of personnel dedicated to such issues have declined dramatically for some agencies. Concomitantly, native species continue to gain pestiferous status while non-native species continue to establish and cause impacts in the US. To enhance our ability and capacity to deal with current and future threats, concerted efforts are needed to advocate for both resources and stand-alone policy tools that take seriously the complexity of emerging sustainability challenges in both private and public forestlands.

scholarly journals Sheep farmers’ attitudes towards lameness control: Qualitative exploration of factors affecting adoption of the lameness Five-Point Plan

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0246798
Author(s):  
Caroline M. Best ◽  
Alison Z. Pyatt ◽  
Janet Roden ◽  
Malgorzata Behnke ◽  
Kate Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Barriers To Adoption ◽  
Control Plan ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Intrinsic Factors ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Qualitative Exploration ◽  
And Control

In 2014, best-practice recommendations to treat and control lameness in sheep in the UK were consolidated into a national program, the Five-Point Plan (5PP). As recent evidence suggests that only the minority of sheep farmers are implementing all management practices listed in the 5PP, qualitative investigation is vital to ensure future promotion is aligned with psychological and contextual factors affecting farmers’ decision-making. This qualitative study sought to explore farmers’ attitudes and the factors affecting uptake of best-practice measures listed in the 5PP. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2019 with 12 sheep farmers from England and Wales. In accordance with Thematic Analysis and the principles of Grounded Theory, data collection and analysis were performed iteratively. Two overarching themes, delineated by subthemes, emerged during analysis; (1) Barriers to adoption of 5PP measures and (2) Motivation to adopt 5PP measures. Various farmer-centric factors and physical resources were identified as key barriers or obstacles that limited farmers’ ability to implement 5PP measures outright, or restricted their ability to make changes to facilitate future adoption. Conversely, internal and external influences were identified to increase farmers’ willingness and motivation to implement practices listed on the 5PP. Heterogeneity in farmer perceptions, attitudes, experiences and circumstances identified in this study highlights the difficulty in promoting a one-size-fits-all lameness control plan, where a unique combination of intrinsic factors, social influences, and physical restrictions affect implementation. Future initiatives should focus on removing barriers by changing farmers’ perceptions and mindset towards lameness control, and building farmers’ confidence in their ability to implement practices. Furthermore, farmers’ social licence to farm and their desire to improve their reputation within society, presents an important opportunity to further engage farmers in implementing control practices. Increasing peer-to-peer knowledge transfer opportunities and effective farmer-veterinarian communication and rapport could help establish 5PP measures as normative behaviours.

scholarly journals An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure: considerations for pharmacists delivering the National Diabetes Prevention Program

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 2426
Author(s):  
Dave L. Dixon ◽  
Evan M. Sisson ◽  
Lauren G. Pamulapati ◽  
Rowan Spence ◽  
Teresa M. Salgado
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Prevention Program ◽  
Diabetes Prevention ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Diabetes Prevention Program ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Personnel Recruitment

Prediabetes is highly prevalent in the United States affecting over 88 million adults. In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP), an intensive lifestyle program consisting of a 16-lesson curriculum focused on diet, exercise, and behavior modification, with the ultimate goal to reduce progression from prediabetes to diabetes. Despite tens of millions of adults potentially qualifying to participate in the program, the uptake of the NDPP has been exceedingly low. As a result, the CDC has focused its efforts on engaging with local health departments and community partners, including community pharmacies, across the United States to scale-up enrollment in the NDPP. In this commentary we discuss factors affecting implementation of the NDPP in community pharmacies and other settings where pharmacists practice, including training, space, personnel, recruitment and enrollment, retention, and sustainability.

Science, Politics, and the Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 119 (820) ◽  
pp. 303-309
Author(s):  
J. Nicholas Ziegler
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Political Leadership ◽  
The United States ◽  
Scientific Advice ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Effective Policy ◽  
Scientific Expertise ◽  
The Uk

Comparing the virus responses in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States shows that in order for scientific expertise to result in effective policy, rational political leadership is required. Each of these three countries is known for advanced biomedical research, yet their experiences in the COVID-19 pandemic diverged widely. Germany’s political leadership carefully followed scientific advice and organized public–private partnerships to scale up testing, resulting in relatively low infection levels. The UK and US political responses were far more erratic and less informed by scientific advice—and proved much less effective.

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