Suchergebnisse

In recent years academic commentators have born witness to the emergence of what has been called a New Public Management, or NPM, evident in a number of countries around the world. While the literature has sought to document its appearance and attempt to assess its impact, this article considers an aspect of the NPM which has been little explored: the human cost associated with its introduction. In examining higher education in England, one of the countries where the NPM is thought to have been embraced at least relatively enthusiastically, the article explores research on the experiences and reactions of those working in academe to recent attempts to change working practices through an analysis of the stresses and strains experienced by those subjected to the processes of managerialism. In drawing on published sources and the authors' own empirical work it is argued that the NPM, not least in intensifying the labour of academics as intellectual workers, has provoked a range of responses which include collusion, resentment and resistance. The consequences of the NPM, it is argued, include blaming of the victim and diverting attention away from processes of control and the action of human agents who initiate stressful conditions of work by implementing the NPM in particularly harsh ways. It is further contended that attempts to encroach on professional autonomy, and operationalize the NPM in English universities in harsh ways, are being mediated by those subjected to the changes who are seeking to preserve elements of collegiality.

The Population Council embarked on a three-year project to explore the acceptability of the progesterone vaginal ring (PVR) among women in sub-Saharan Africa and its potential introduction. This technical report presents results from assessments undertaken to map the existing landscape of family planning programs and new contraceptive technologies in Senegal in an effort to identify national priorities and assess the level of interest in the PVR among stakeholders and to design appropriate preintroductory activities. This country mapping exercise confirms that Senegal is a promising context for the introduction of the PVR: the government is committed to repositioning family planning and has created an enabling environment and there are various encouraging sociocultural trends which suggest potential for acceptance of the PVR. Some key accompanying measures will need to be taken to ensure proper execution of the acceptability study and subsequent introductory efforts, including early involvement of the Ministry of Health, development and dissemination of literature in French on the PVR and the project, and establishment of an appropriate communication plan to name a few. Its innovative, long- and mid-acting, user-controlled design will introduce a unique dimension to the current method mix and is a promising prospect for provision at the community level in Senegal.

This guide continues to be a 'living' document that will be updated as practice evolves. Investors are strongly encouraged to provide feedback on how to improve this guide and to share additional material that could be included. The Guide is organized as follows: section two describes the principles and their importance to ensuring sustainable microfinance development that serves the best interests of clients. Section three provides an update on the smart campaign. Section four offers practical advice on approaches and tools to incorporate the principles into investment processes. Section five highlights questions that investment organizations are facing and emerging responses. Finally, section six provides a list of resources and tools.

Le Gouvernement du Sénégal s'est engagé dans une politique volontariste de repositionnement de la planification familiale à travers l'adoption d'un Plan d'Action National de Planification Familiale. Pour mieux adresser les besoins de contraception des femmes et réduire les taux d'abandon, le Population Council a initié le développement d'une gamme d'anneaux vaginaux; le premier produit développé était l'anneau vaginal à progestérone ou AVP, conçu pour les femmes qui allaitent en vue de prolonger la période d'aménorrhée lactationnelle et ainsi promouvoir l'espacement des naissances. Avec l'appui de la Fondation Bill & Melinda Gates, le Population Council a entrepris des activités de pré-introduction de l'AVP dans trois pays d'Afrique subsaharienne: le Kenya, le Nigéria, et le Sénégal. Les résultats de l'étude au Senegal indiquent que l'introduction de l'AVP se présente dans un contexte social, économique et politique très favorable. Il est donc important d'intégrer les leçons apprises de cette étude d'acceptabilité et des expériences antérieures conduites dans ce domaine. --- The Government of Senegal has embarked on a proactive policy of repositioning family planning through the adoption of a National Plan of Action for Family Planning. To better address women's contraceptive needs and reduce dropout rates, the Population Council initiated the development of a range of vaginal rings; the first product developed was the progesterone vaginal ring, or AVP, designed for women who are breastfeeding to prolong the lactational amenorrhea period and thus promote birth spacing. With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Population Council undertook pre-introduction activities of AVP in three countries in sub-Saharan Africa: Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. The results of the study in Senegal indicate that the introduction of AVP is in a very favorable social, economic, and political context. It is therefore important to incorporate the lessons learned from this acceptability study and previous ...

Household food insecurity is higher among minority households in the U.S., but few data exist on households of recent minority immigrants, in part because such households are difficult to sample. Four studies of a total of 317 Latino immigrant families were conducted in different regions and during different seasons in North Carolina. A Spanish translation of the 18-item U.S. Food Security Survey Module was used to assess the prevalence of food insecurity and hunger. In 3 of the studies, a total of 76 in-depth interviews were conducted to gather information on immigrants' experiences of food insecurity. Households in the 4 studies classified as food secure ranged from 28.7 to 50.9%, compared with 82.4% in the U.S. in 2004. Food insecurity without hunger ranged from 35.6% to 41.8%, compared with 13.3% in the U.S. The highest rates of hunger reported were 18.8% (moderate hunger) and 16.8% (severe hunger) in an urban sample. Qualitative data indicate that food insecurity has both quantitative and qualitative effects on diet. Immigrants experience adverse psychological effects of food insecurity. They report experiencing a period of adjustment to food insecurity leading to empowerment to resolve the situation. Reactions to food insecurity differ from those reported by others, possibly because immigrants encounter a new and not chronic situation. Overall, these findings suggest that immigrant Latinos experience significant levels of food insecurity that are not addressed by current governmental programs.

The progesterone vaginal ring (PVR) is a ring-shaped device designed for use by women in the postpartum period to regulate fertility by complementing and extending the contraceptive effectiveness of lactational amenorrhea to suppress ovulation.1 It is available in eight Latin American countries for use by breastfeeding women who want more effective modern contraceptives in addition to contraceptive benefits provided by lactational amenorrhea alone.1 The PVR is a method that can be suitable to women in sub-Saharan Africa, given the near-universal practice of breastfeeding and the current level of unmet need for contraception in the postpartum period. Efforts are currently underway to introduce the PVR in Africa and south Asia. To ensure a seamless introduction, scale up and sustainability of the PVR in the region, the Population Council conducted pre-introductory activities with stakeholders in Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal to determine the level of interest in the ring, potential facilitating and mitigating factors and identify solutions to address challenges. The research team combined three approaches: in-depth interviews with family planning stakeholders; desk review of reports and policy guidelines; and in-group meetings. The stakeholders reached included public sector officials including policy makers and program managers, implementing partners, regulators, women and religious networks. All three countries had a promising policy and programmatic context that was supportive to PVR introduction. The exercise provided insights on socio-cultural and religious factors that could potentially impact how the PVR is perceived within communities and identified possible remedies to address misperceptions. It also paved the way for the conduct of an acceptability study of the PVR among breastfeeding women in these countries. The high acceptability rate in each country and the support expressed by government and other stakeholders have provided impetus for registration of the product in each country. Learning from this ...

Background The Aberdeen Children of the 1950s (ACONF) cohort contains 12,150 individuals born in Aberdeen, Scotland in the 1950s. The study includes rich early life data, information from questionnaire in middle age, and linkage to electronic healthcare records.
Involving the participants in designing future data collection and research is key to ensure research is acceptable and reflects public priorities.
Aim To gather ACONF participants' views to inform how to: define healthy ageing, optimise recruitment and maximise participation.
Method We undertook three co-design workshops with 8 to 10 ACONF members. The workshops operated as a discussion, led by a facilitator using guidance questions developed by the study team. Workshops were recorded and transcribed.
Results Healthy ageing: Participants viewed healthy ageing as keeping socially and physically active, taking responsibility for oneself and having a positive attitude to ageing. Key research priorities were: dementia, healthy living advice, improvements in the social care system and engaging hard-to-reach groups.
Optimising recruitment and participation: Participants were keen for further involvement in research. Recruitment may be maximised by: more information online, involving participants in recruitment of other study members and clarity about potential benefits to themselves or others. It is acceptable to ask their offspring to participate.
There were high levels of trust in researchers, but ongoing data protection is vital. Participation may be improved by regular contact (informing participants of results, engagement events, newsletters, mobile phone "apps").
Participants were happy with data collection methods: questionnaires, applications, wearable devices, and in-person tests. They raised no concerns regarding DNA collection and electronic record linkage.
Conclusion Participant involvement in research is a fundamental part of securing a social license for research. Participants were in favour of ongoing research, including recruitment of their children and linkage of electronic records. The workshops highlighted key considerations for future research and data collection.

AbstractThe progesterone vaginal ring (PVR) is a contraceptive designed for use by breastfeeding women in the first year postpartum. This Report presents results of an acceptability study of the PVR in Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. Women seeking postpartum family planning services were offered various contraceptive options including the PVR. Of the 174 participating women, 110 (63 percent) used one ring and 94 (54 percent) completed the study by using two rings over a six‐month period. Women were interviewed up to three times: at the time they entered the study, at 3 months (the end of the first ring cycle), and at 6 months (the end of the second ring cycle or when they exited if they had discontinued earlier). Many participants found the ring to be acceptable, with over three‐quarters reporting that it was easy to insert, remove, and reinsert. While a small proportion of women experienced ring expulsion, the majority did not. These findings suggest that even in countries with little or no use of vaginal health products, contraceptive vaginal rings offer women a new option that they are able and willing to use.