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Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Texas at Dallas, 2006. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-173)

Current malaria treatments are ineffective in sub-Saharan Africa due to problems beyond the disease. Approximately 90% of malaria mortalities occur in sub-Saharan Africa, and 77% percent of these are children under the age of five. At the same time, sub-Saharan Africa is also the recipient of 80% of international aid. With international malaria funding increasing in recent years, there must be an analysis on the practicability of funded interventions as malaria continues to be a tremendous burden in the region. This review highlights the complexity of malaria pathology and its association with poverty that makes treatments ineffective. Available, frontline antimalarial drugs and insecticides have shown increased resistance that has spread throughout many malaria endemic regions. This resistance aggravates the disease as the parasite and the vector evolve, resulting in increased transmission, increased severity of symptoms, and a high risk of mortality. In addition, the heavily funded malaria vaccine under development by GlaxioSmithKline and PATH shows partial efficacy that languishes over time, putting to question the practicability of such heavily funded interventions. The limitations of available treatments necessitates a holistic approach that responds to the economic state of endemic regions in order to effectively alleviate the burden of disease. An example of a holistic approach is the Multisectoral Action Framework for Malaria. This approach considers the socioeconomic development and fragile markets of endemic nations to encourage partnerships between governments and healthcare sectors in eradicating malaria. Although it will take years to demonstrate results, the burden of malaria calls for sustained efforts to alleviate the burden of the disease along with the poverty that perpetuates it.

<p> At a time when human environmental disturbance is challenging livability on the planet&mdash;for humans and nonhumans alike&mdash;it is important to find better methods for engaging with the liveliness of landscapes, the relations with which they hang together, and the various ways they are interrupted. This dissertation explores the practices of tracking and gathering as methods for studying such issues facing Kalahari Desert landscapes in Botswana. These ecologically important landscapes are increasingly encroached upon and fragmented by the growing cattle economy and the proliferation of extractive industries into the desert. These trends have led to dramatic declines in wildlife populations and growing desertification of the already arid region. The Kalahari is home to small communities of people, many of whom are former hunter-gatherers whose rights to land and access to wildlife are increasingly inhibited. The government has banned hunting, largely in response to conservationists&rsquo; concerns about wildlife. In addition, gathering is increasingly regulated, and cattle colonize areas that are significant for wildlife and San communities. In this context, rather than treating tracking and gathering as objects of study, I take these practices seriously as methods for noticing and theorizing more-than-human landscapes, their transformations, and contingent histories to address challenges facing people and their environments in the Kalahari and beyond. </p><p> By focusing on the relational forms of noticing landscapes with San trackers and gatherers, I describe landscapes as always in motion, emergent more-than-human places where assemblages gather, histories are made, and politics enacted. This is in direct contrast to theoretical moves that treat landscapes as background on which histories and politics occur. My dissertation enacts tracking and gathering as a methodology. Beginning with an extension of the concept of tracks and following their movements out to their relations with other landscape actors in each chapter, I emphasize that landscapes are not merely contexts for politics and histories. Rather, landscapes do histories and politics, in spite of efforts to hold these landscapes still as underutilized expanses of resources. </p><p> The dissertation itself unfolds, moving out through the landscape by tracking these emergent relations. I argue that tracking is a relational practice of becoming-familiar-with these multiple entanglements of emergent landscapes. The practice of gathering involves much of the same kinds of attention to landscape movements and their coordinations as with tracking. Here, I employ gathering in its double meaning: the practice of collecting and of coming together. The tracks of gathered truffles then lead to the worlds of grass and termites that, in turn, allow for a reflection on Kalahari rangeland ecology and the political economy of the cattle industry. Finally, the dissertation zooms out to the desert&rsquo;s geomorphology, tracking the movements of geological processes as they gather with the movements of humans and nonhumans to form lively landscape features over the <i>longue duree</i>. Tracking and gathering are methods that allow for an elaboration of these more-than-human landscapes-in-motion, together with their social, political, and economic histories and speculative futures.</p><p>

The thesis critically and empirically examines the development of manufacturing in Zimbabwe, through a case study of the metal engineering sector, following the introduction of the structural adjustment programme (ESAP) in 1990/91. Original field research of manufacturing firms and supporting organisations was conducted in Zimbabwe during 1995 and 1996. A theoretical framework is applied using concepts of institutional legacy and path dependency. This provides an alternative approach to use of neo-classically based analytical frameworks. It is concluded that orthodox economic approaches are inadequate as a basis for improving the prospects for successful industrial development, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. There is a need to improve the understanding of a country's changing social relations, in their historical context. This includes analysing patterns of agency within and between institutions and the individuals that comprise them. In part this can be accomplished by examining class and power relations and conflicts. Zimbabwe's structural adjustment programme was not followed by industrial rejuvenation and expansion. Firm performance varied in ways that cannot be explained using conventional economic approaches. Overall, there has been: a lack of technological and organisational improvements and industrial investment; a decline in real wages and industrial employment; and, a lack of skills improvement across firms and supporting organisations. Zimbabwean industrial development suffers from a dislocation of interest between those owning most of the productive industrial capital and those formulating policies that affect industry. The capitalist class is fragmented between historically established white capitalists, and emergent indigenous or black interests. Explanations are offered for the observed weaknesses of supporting institutions, including government ministries, training organisations and workers' and employers' organisations. The findings make a strong case that without better data collection from firms and an improved understanding of historical contexts and constraints, policy shifts to promote industrial development will not have the desired results. Even though the research collects a better data set than previously available, it is difficult to draw the types of definite conclusions and recommendations presented by most commentators on the same questions.

<p> <b>Background:</b> Almost two-thirds of the total HIV/AIDS infected populations in the world live in Sub-Saharan Africa. HIV/AIDS stigmas are major obstacles to HIV/AIDS interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa. The literature suggests that diverse factors associated with HIV/AIDS stigma should be investigated to effectively reduce HIV/AIDS stigmas. However, little is known about religion as a cultural factor in the construction of HIV/AIDS stigma in Sub-Saharan Africa. NGOs and FBOs have played a significant role in the work of the HIV/AIDS intervention and prevention in the area. However, in spite of the importance of religion and spirituality among the front-line workers at non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and faith-based organizations (FBOs) in Sub-Saharan Africa, religiosity, and spirituality in relation to the construction of HIV/AIDS stigma have not been fully investigated yet. </p><p> <b>Purpose:</b> The aims of this study were to explore how service providers working with HIV/AIDS affected populations understand the meaning of HIV/AIDS stigma in relation to their religious beliefs, and to explore the role of religiosity and spirituality among service providers working in NGOs and FBOs in southern Malawi. </p><p> <b>Method:</b> A qualitative approach using the Internet via online Google forms and emails was used to collect the questionnaires and narrative data from Malawi. Study participants included twenty service providers working in thirteen NGOs or FBOs in southern Malawi. Fourteen participants were Malawians; six were from abroad, including Australia, Canada, Dutch, South Korea, Zimbabwe, and England. All participants are self-identified Christians. The qualitative data was analyzed using ATLAS.ti (version 8.0), and the quantitative data were analyzed by STATA (version 14.2). </p><p> <b>Results:</b> The findings of the study showed that social stigma and social constructionism were theories relevant to exploring HIV/AIDS stigma as a social construct in the Sub-Saharan context. Service providers participating in the study variously understood HIV/AIDS as a punishment of God, a consequence of sin in the fallen world, a result of human behavior, an opportunity to help PLWHA (People Living With HIV/AIDS), and as a medical disease. The participants described religiosity and spirituality as important health assets that support them in working with PLWHA in NGOs and FBOs in Malawi. </p><p> <b>Conclusion:</b> Religion serves as an important cultural influence, with power to both negatively affect the construction of HIV/AIDS stigma in society, and positively reconstruct the meaning of HIV/AIDS. The findings of the study suggest that it is critical to deconstruct and reconstruct the meaning of HIV/AIDS by focusing on religion as the means of grace and love, not of morality. Service providers must be required to carefully examine their own prejudice toward PLWHA, and social work education can equip HIV/AIDS specialists to more effectively deal with HIV/AIDS-related problems at the local, national, and global levels in the field of international social work. </p><p>

<p> Small business enterprises are important to the economic growth of Nigeria because they make up 97% of the economy and contribute 70% of the country&rsquo;s job opportunity. Notwithstanding the importance of small businesses in the Nigerian economy, 80% fail within the first five years. Based on system theory developed by Ludwig von Bertalanffy, the purpose of this multi-unit qualitative case study was to investigate the strategies owners and managers used to sustain operations longer than first five years. Twelve senior managers of small businesses in Dutse Nigeria participated in an interview. Methodological triangulation of interview questions was used to collect the data. Review of transcribed data and member checking were used to affirm the validity, credibility, and reliability of the study. Ten dominant themes emerged as findings: managers with educational and professional qualifications, skills, and experience; written business and strategic planning; additional financing; commitment of owners; and improved working conditions and good employees manager rapport. Other findings include the use of word of mouth and maintaining a close relationship with top 20% and high spending customers; use of local FM radio stations, social media, and face-to-face contacts marketing; and the use of e-commerce and e-payment platforms. The findings also include the use of support services; and knowledge of seasonality, cutting cost, and financial discipline. Findings might be utilized by small business owners and managers to develop success strategies to sustain operations longer than first five years which might mitigate small business failure. Mitigating small business failure might contribute to the growth of Nigerian economy.</p><p>

<p> Although the association between poor sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and sociodemographic indicators has been explored in many resource-poor settings, limited information exists specific to Liberia. The two studies in this document seek to describe unmet need for SRH services using three critical indicators of SRH services: knowledge of HIV status (sexual health); use of skilled provider for antenatal care and delivery (reproductive health); and use of modern contraception when there is a desire to limit or space reproduction (family planning). Data from Liberia&rsquo;s 2013 Demographic and Health Survey (LDHS) was used to summarize individual-level profiles according to key sociodemographic and sexual health characteristics for sexually active women and men aged 15-49 (N_women=7,787; N_men=3,426). Frequency distributions from log-binomial regressions show the prevalence of unmet need for sexual health services for women is 51.9% and 72.8% for men; 39.7% for reproductive services (women only); and prevalence of unmet need for family planning is 70.7% for women and 76.1% for men. Results show wide disparities in unmet need for sexual health services by wealth and educational attainment for both men and women. Differences in unmet need for reproductive services were disparate based on educational attainment, wealth, and urban/rural residence. Although the unmet need for family planning is high, the disparities among subgroups is not as dramatic as other unmet needs. Results indicate the need to evaluate the gaps between national policy and service utilization with special attention to subgroups with a high-burden of unmet need.</p><p>

<p> This case study explores wellbeing and sustainable development in rural sub-Saharan Africa &ndash; a culturally and ecologically diverse and vibrant region devastated by colonial and postcolonial injustices that have created persistent and pervasive social, economic, and ecological crises. The growth-oriented capitalist economic model that has shaped the operative understanding of wellbeing and perpetuated the invented reality of underdevelopment also guides large-scale sustainable development efforts that persistently fail to significantly improve wellbeing among rural communities. Ecological economics may provide a paradigm for sustainable development that is culturally, ecologically, and economically more appropriate &ndash; and more effective &ndash; for both assessing and improving wellbeing. Twenty-seven participants from two rural, forest-dependent communities in Cameroon&rsquo;s Southwest Province were surveyed to assess perceptions of wellbeing and social-ecological resilience. These communities are heavily invested in a sustainable agriculture initiative that reflects an ecological economics worldview and key dimensions of community resilience. Results indicate that perceptions of wellbeing are influenced by both gender and occupation, and that the sustainable agriculture initiative positively impacts perceptions of wellbeing for farmers more than non-farmers, and female farmers more than male farmers. This suggests that participation in the program may positively influence perceptions of subjective and community wellbeing. Further study in these communities, and across similar communities may shed light on how ecological economics might provide a practical basis for broadening an understanding of wellbeing and for informing the approach, design, and implementation of sustainable development initiatives.</p>

M.Comm. / The subject of the growth effects of remittances is characterised by different and conflicting perspectives. While migration optimists believe in positive growth effects of remittances, migration pessimists, on the other hand, challenge this position and claim that remittances have either a negative or statistically insignificant effect on economic growth. Those for remittances argue that remittances have a positive effect on economic growth mainly through subsequent increases in investment capital and human capital. Migration pessimists, however, stress that remittances negatively impact economic growth, mainly, because of inflationary pressures and moral hazards that result in reduced labour supply. Given such contrasting literature, this study makes an attempt to contribute to the existing literature by assessing the growth-effects of remittances in twenty-nine Sub-Saharan Africa countries over the period 1980-2008. The Arellano-Bover/Blundell-Bond GMM one-step estimator is used in the assessment. Empirical results from the study reveal evidence supporting for statistically significant positive growth effects of remittances in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study further reveals that these positive growth effects of remittances in Sub-Saharan Africa happen through the human capital channel. Even when heterogeneity of sub-regions is taken into account, there is still evidence showing positive growth effects of remittances in Sub-Saharan Africa. Results, however, reveal that in West Africa, remittances have a low positive effect on economic growth.