The shift from a US-centered food regime, shaped by protectionist state-governed agriculture, to a corporate food regime, focusing on establishing transnational agribusinesses, led to various changes in livestock production and trade. This essay investigates the extent to which this shift has affected the trade relations between Brazil, Sub-Saharan Africa and the EU, by<br />comparing trends in trade and production of poultry. By using statistics from trade databases Comtrade and the Market Access Database, trends in Brazilian export flows to selected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are presented and evaluated. These trends suggest an increase in Brazilian poultry import to some countries, namely South Africa, Cameroon, Senegal and Gabon, not including the dramatic drop in 2006, possibly caused by exogenous factors, such as a global decrease in poultry demand because of outbreaks of Avian Influenza. European trade with Sub-Saharan Africa has to a  moderate degree decreased or stagnated in some countries in the region, which could be explained by a high European domestic demand and a strong euro. The agribusiness structure in Brazil suggests a strong connection to the characteristics making up the corporate food regime, and their success and expansion point toward a continued increase in poultry market shares, in turn suggesting stronger influence on the global market. Hence, the gains of trade liberalization are toned down for developing countries, seeing that trade with subsidized developed countries is being replaced with that of developing countries.<br /><br />

The world’s understanding of HIV/AIDS is grounded in biomedicine and shaped by cognitive psychology. Both biomedicine and cognitive psychology bonded with historically top-down development mechanisms to create ‘prevention’ strategies that obscured from vision the root causes of the pandemic. Within this hierarchy, bio-medicine and the cognitive psychological conception of human beings silenced indigenous voices and experiences of communities fighting HIV/AIDS. This is most certainly true in the case of Sub-Saharan Africa. This research explores the emergence of the Community Capacity Enhancement – Community Conversations prevention approach that places community dialogue, and the voices of communities, at the forefront of the battle to end HIV/AIDS and deconstruct and challenge the forms of structural violence that hold prevalence rates in their place. Within these spaces, oral traditions, indigenous knowledge, and resistance illustrate new and complex pictures of the viruses’ socio-economic impact and provide new foundations for community generated movements to curb the virus.

This thesis examines whether urbanization affects GDP per capita positively in Sub-Saharan Africa. Further investigations are done to study how the size of the prime city affects GDP per capita, as well as how the prime city as a percentage of urban population interacts with GDP per capita. The results show that urbaization and GDP per capita interact positively - that is, increase in urbaization increases GDP per capita. We also find that size of the prime city as a percentage of total population is insignificant, though we do see that when the degree of centrality ( measured by prime city as a percentage of urban population) increases there is a negative impact on GDP per capita. This would suggest that while urbaization is economically positive for the region, concentrated urbaization can dampen the effect.

Microfinance is the provision of credit/loans to poor individuals for the purpose of income generation. The Sub-Saharan African region which is among the poorest areas in the world is thought to be one of the regions where the microfinance industry is dynamic and growing in terms of acceptance and patronage. Even though microfinance in the Sub-Saharan Africa region has received a lot of research attention, most have focused largely on the financial performance whilst there is no available information on project management practices in new product development.Since project management is considered to be an effective means of managing new product development, the purpose of this work was to investigate the practice of project management in new product development in microfinance institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa and to assess which project management methods, and tools and techniques are used.A case study was adopted and a semi-structured interview through telephone/Skype was conducted on eight senior management staff from different microfinance institutions. The respondents comprised five Non-governmental organizations, two Non-Bank financial institutions and one Commercial Bank, operating in Angola, Gambia, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia and Kenya.The empirical findings were that six of the microfinance institutions are involved in new product development whilst two of the institutions which are Non-governmental organizations are not. The main product that is developed by these microfinance institutions is credits/loans. The reason for new products development was to meet clients’ needs even though competition and the need to be innovative was also a factor.This research also shows that the six microfinance institutions that are into new product development organize product development through projects. Project management is the means through which new products are developed. In addition, projects are managed either solely by each microfinance institution or done in collaboration with other institutions.A further indication based on project management steps suggests a flexible practice of project management in developing new products as project management steps are not tightly followed. The project management methods that are used in developing new products in all these institutions was the in house method as all the respondents considered it an effective way because this method is adapted to their institutional structure.In addition, the commonly used tool and technique among all the institutions was the progress reports which contained necessary information for monitoring and evaluating of the projects.

No description available.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Münster (Westfalen), 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 247-[256]).

Maternal mortality is a huge concern globally leading to more than a quarter of a million deaths every year. Similarly, an estimated 4 million neonates die every year worldwide, contributing to the majority of deaths of under-5 children. The majority of these deaths take place in under-developed countries, and specifically, in the sub-Saharan Africa region. It is evidenced that maternal ill-health and death contribute to the majority of child deaths. Reducing the death of children under 5 years by two thirds and also improving maternal health/reducing maternal death by three quarters between the years 1990 and 2015 are two of the eight aims of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), MDG-4 and MDG-5 respectively. The report on maternal health services in Eritrea, a nation in the sub-Saharan Africa, shows a low utilization of antenatal care, family planning services, and postnatal care. Furthermore, there is insufficient use of skilled assistance at delivery. The purpose of this study was to explore the reproductive health knowledge and practice of women aged 18-49 and the impact of these on infant birth outcomes. Participants were all living in the Central Zone of Eritrea. This study proposed that knowledge of reproductive health is one of the key factors contributing to the health of women in the reproductive age group, and thereby reduction of maternal and child deaths and morbidities. An exploratory cross-sectional study design was implemented in this study using an investigator-designed questionnaire. Data were collected from participants intending to assess awareness on the domains of reproductive health including knowledge of family planning, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), antenatal and postnatal care, importance of vaccinations, and identification of pregnancy/labor danger signs. Data on the most recent birth outcome that took place in the past five years were collected to investigate any existing associations. Findings showed that a majority of participants recognized danger signs and where to seek help in case of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Participants also stated the importance of child vaccination, identified STDs and family planning methods as well. Further, the majority also acknowledged the importance of antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care by skilled personnel. However, a large percentage did not start ANC visits until after the first trimester. Also, a large number of participants did not know when fetal anomalies were most likely to occur or when conception can happen in relation to the menstrual cycle. Looking at birth outcomes, marital status and educational status showed a significant relationship with birth weight, while educational status was further a significant predictor of maturity of fetus at birth. Overall, these findings indicate the need for increased efforts in providing adequate reproductive health education, especially in certain target areas, so that women are better equipped with the necessary basic reproductive health information. This will hopefully contribute to the betterment of maternal health, further leading to a desired birth outcome.

This thesis has three objectives as follows: 1) to investigate VIP latrine design and establish if the communal school VIP latrines located on the shared campus of Tubman Wilson Institute (TWI) Junior and Senior High School and J.C. Barlee Elementary School were properly designed and constructed, 2) to explore the user preferences and motivations impacting the adoption of these school latrines, and 3) to develop a framework for factors that influence latrine adoption. These goals were formed by the author in response to her Peace Corps experience working at a high school in Zwedru, Liberia from August 2012 to August 2014 and her personal background in appropriate sanitation and environmental engineering. To complete the first thesis objective, the author conducted a detailed literature review and then compared accepted guidelines for VIP latrines to the sanitation facilities located on the TWI campus. The literature review investigated proper design of ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines, school sanitation guidelines, and recommendations for sanitation in Liberia. The research focus latrines were two blocks of six stall multicompartment alternating twin-pit VIP latrines. The author conducted observations of the communal school latrines in order to compare the design and construction of these specific latrines to accepted criteria and recommendations from literature. It was found that the latrine vent pipes, cover slabs, drop holes, and pit design all appear to be designed and constructed per national Liberian and international recommendations. However, the TWI school latrines do not comply with standards for several other latrine design criteria. The latrine superstructures are built with privacy walls located in front of the boys’ and girls’ stalls and the entranceway doors do not have air gaps. These two features may impair critical odor-controlling air flow from the superstructure through the pit and out the vent pipe. The siting of the school latrines is also inconsistent with guidelines as the latrines are located too close to the classroom building and to the school’s water pump. Finally, the ratio of people to latrines on the shared TWI/J.C. Barlee campus is higher than the recommendation of 20-40 students per latrine, or when necessary 60 students per latrine. The second research objective was to investigate user perceptions of the communal latrines and identify factors that motivate latrine adoption on the Liberian school campus. The design deficiencies identified in the evaluation of thesis objective one were found to impact the user preferences regarding the school latrines. This is apparent from user comments in the surveys that were conducted with 709 participants (students from grades four to twelve, administrators, faculty, and staff) at the study site. User perceptions of the cleanliness, safety, and comfort of the school facilities were varied. For example, 51% of total respondents (n = 709) expressed that the school latrines were dirty or very dirty, while 48% claimed the latrines were clean or very clean. When asked about the safety of the communal latrines, 52% of survey participants said the sanitation facilities were not safe or very unsafe; 47% asserted that the latrines were safe or very safe. Survey participants also had mixed responses about the comfort of the communal sanitation technology: 51% of the 709 survey participants stated that the latrines were not comfortable or very uncomfortable, while 46% declared the facilities were comfortable or very comfortable. The open-ended survey questions allowed respondents to comment on positive and negative aspects of the communal school VIP latrines. Again answers included various responses, but several key themes arose, including smell and odor, latrine construction components, presence of feces in and around the latrines, the use of the facilities by outside community members, and health impacts of latrine use. The final thesis objective was to develop a framework of the factors that impact adoption of communal school latrines. The author originally assumed that user preferences and latrine adoption were directly correlated, but survey results suggest that the two factors may be independently influenced. This is based on the usage rates, 77% total survey participants stating that they use the latrines and 88% of these affirmative respondents explaining that they use the latrines daily, multiple times a week, or weekly. Although these adoption rates are quite high, satisfaction rates for latrine cleanliness, safety, and comfort are merely 50%, as previously described. VIP latrine design factors, like odor control and door construction, and communal sanitation facility characteristics, such as operation and maintenance, may prompt latrine adoption. Individual user traits, such as age, gender, and type and availability of household sanitation technology appear to have a lesser impact on latrine adoption. However, the grade level of the student respondents may have played a role in their responses because of the methods in which the survey was administered and the common practice of cheating. Additional research should be conducted to further understand the factors that impact the adoption of communal sanitation facilities on school campuses. This study accomplished its three main research objectives, yet further research and practical applications must be applied to improve school sanitation in Liberia and worldwide.

Chapter 1 studies the electoral response to the Ghost Buildings program, a nationwide anti tax evasion policy in Italy which used innovative monitoring technologies to target buildings hidden from tax authorities. The difference-in-differences identification strategy exploits both variation across towns in the ex ante program scope to increase enforcement as well as administrative data on actual building registrations. Local incumbents experience an increase in their reelection likelihood as a consequence of the policy. In addition, these political returns are higher in areas with higher speed of public good provision and with lower tax evasion tolerance, implying complementarity among enforcement policies, government efficiency, and the underlying tax culture. Chapter 2 uses a road-level regression discontinuity design in Sierra Leone to study the impact of improvements in rural road infrastructure on agricultural markets. We show that the improved roads reduced the market prices of local crops. These price effects are stronger in markets that are further from major urban centers and in less productive areas. We also find that these price effects are reversed in areas with better cell phone penetration. We show that our empirical findings are consistent with a search cost framework a la Mortensen, but inconsistent with other models, such as Bertrand competition, bilateral bargaining, and Cournot oligopsony. Chapter 3 present results from a randomized controlled experiment designed to study the multiple margins through which value is passed from traders to agricultural producers in the presence of interlinked transactions. Consistent with other studies, we find limited price pass-through in response to an increase in the trader resale price. However, there is a large response in credit provision. We develop a model of interlinked transactions that highlights the substitutability of price and credit pass-through across markets, and verify its predictions empirically. Calibration suggests that to ignore margins of pass-through other than price has substantial implications for welfare analysis. / Economics

This dissertation considers how Western health interventions are incorporated in non-Western societies. It focuses specifically on ‘HIV Testing,’ a key strategy that emerged to fight the spread of HIV in the West and was later institutionalized globally and exported to other, very different parts of the world. The empirical object of study is the “3Cs,” the cluster of Western norms and ideals upon which global testing policy rests: (1) that it includes counseling, (2) that it be conducted with informed consent, and (3) that the test results be confidential. Employing several methods of field research, this project investigates how the rationalities and motivations of various actors at national and local levels affect the implementation of a key global AIDS intervention in Malawi, a high HIV prevalence, rural African setting. Fundamental differences between the West and sub-Saharan Africa form the basis of this inquiry as to how imported models fare when implemented outside of their context of origin. Towards that end, this study considers how three strata of social and institutional actors who inform the HIV Testing encounter in Malawi interpret, and put into practice, the same ideas: the Counseling and Testing Establishment (CTE), HIV Counselors, and rural Malawians. For the CTE, its proponents, the “3Cs” are Western, human rights imports that are worth defending formally, but not necessarily worth prioritizing in practice. For HIV Counselors, its implementers, knowledge of the “3Cs” as Western biomedical jargon distinguishes them from villagers, but places them in situations where the ethics of testing conflict with moral concerns they have for those whom they were trained to help; thus they adapt them in practice. And for rural Malawians, its beneficiaries, the “3Cs” have little inherent value, and are perceived largely as doing harm rather than good in their communities. Thus, the net contribution of this study is that the “3Cs” have no single meaning as a normative testing regime, but rather acquire (differential) meaning (and import) during their implementation. Indeed, unless policy makers and analysts know something about this, interventions developed from afar are unlikely to have their intended effects on the ground. / text