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This paper investigates digital inequalities in usage within African informal sectors. In particular, we examine whether the uneven digital diffusion is embedded in pre‐existing socio‐economic inequalities. After identifying three segments of informal firms, we rely on multivariate and decomposition analyses to identify predictors of usage of digital technologies for business purposes and explain usage gaps between segments. Our findings suggest that digital inequalities are rooted in the vertical heterogeneity of informal sectors, with some firm characteristics significantly predicting professional use of digital technologies. In addition, we find that there are both common and segment‐specific levers for addressing digital inequalities between informal firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in academic library operations. In the quest to render fast, effective and efficient services, academic libraries have adopted different technologies in the past. Artificial intelligence technologies is the latest among the technologies currently being introduced in libraries. The technology which is considered an intelligent system, come in the form of robots and expert systems which have natural language processing, machine learning and pattern recognition capabilities. This paper examined the features of AI, the application of AI to library operations, examples of academic libraries with AI technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa, the need for AI in libraries and the challenges associated with the adoption of AI in libraries. The study concluded that AI holds a lot of prospects for the improvement of information services delivery in African academic libraries. Consequently, its adoption is a sinequanon to delivering robust library services in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is impacting many aspects of human life in many ways. In Ghana, climate change knowledge remains low and discussions linking climate change and health are scarce. In this paper, authors contribute to the shaping of discussions about climate and health with a focus on how climate change increases certain ailments. First, the paper addresses the need for research in Ghanaian communities to link climate change and health. Second, the paper suggests the development of policies to address the link. Third, public health educators are advised in this paper to educate the public. Plain Language Summary: The paper addresses the link between climate change and health. Authors call for this link to be considered in Ghana and policies developed to meet worsening health problems. Key Points: Climate change is an important driver of negative health outcomesClimate change exacerbates the already precarious health inequality in GhanaResearchers, policymakers, and public health educators should focus on the impact of climate change on health in Ghana [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly 7% of the world's population live with a hemoglobin variant. Hemoglobins S, C, and E are the most common and significant hemoglobin variants worldwide. Sickle cell disease, caused by hemoglobin S, is highly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa and in tribal populations of Central India. Hemoglobin C is common in West Africa, and hemoglobin E is common in Southeast Asia. Screening for significant hemoglobin disorders is not currently feasible in many low-income countries with the high disease burden. Lack of early diagnosis leads to preventable high morbidity and mortality in children born with hemoglobin variants in low-resource settings. Here, we describe HemeChip, the first miniaturized, paper-based, microchip electrophoresis platform for identifying the most common hemoglobin variants easily and affordably at the point-of-care in low-resource settings. HemeChip test works with a drop of blood. HemeChip system guides the user step-by-step through the test procedure with animated on-screen instructions. Hemoglobin identification and quantification is automatically performed, and hemoglobin types and percentages are displayed in an easily understandable, objective way. We show the feasibility and high accuracy of HemeChip via testing 768 subjects by clinical sites in the United States, Central India, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia. Validation studies include hemoglobin E testing in Bangkok, Thailand, and hemoglobin S testing in Chhattisgarh, India, and in Kano, Nigeria, where the sickle cell disease burden is the highest in the world. Tests were performed by local users, including healthcare workers and clinical laboratory personnel. Study design, methods, and results are presented according to the Standards for Reporting Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD). HemeChip correctly identified all subjects with hemoglobin S, C, and E variants with 100% sensitivity, and displayed an overall diagnostic accuracy of 98.4% in comparison to reference standard methods. HemeChip is a versatile, mass-producible microchip electrophoresis platform that addresses a major unmet need of decentralized hemoglobin analysis in resource-limited settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Maize varieties that are rich in carotenoids have been developed to combat vitamin A deficiency in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Unfortunately, after harvest, carotenoids degrade and off‐flavor volatiles develop, which affect nutrient intake and consumer acceptance. This study evaluated carotenoid retention and aroma compound stability in provitamin A biofortified maize, variety Pool 8A, as influenced by dry milling and storage in different packaging and temperature conditions. RESULTS: The lowest amount of total carotenoids was found in flour stored in laminated paper bags at 37 °C (only 16% retention after 180 days), attributable to the high storage temperature and oxygen permeability of the packaging material. No significant effect on carotenoid degradation was found for dry milling, either by rotor mill or freezer mill, but the formation of volatile compounds was significantly (P < 0.05) affected. Volatile compounds such as hexanal, 2‐pentylfuran, 1‐propanol, 2‐heptanone, butyrolactone, limonene, and hexanoic acid were found in different proportions after milling. The highest concentration of hexanal was in flour milled by rotor mill or freezer mill, and stored in laminated paper bags at 37 °C after 180 days, and the lowest concentrations were for flour in aluminium bags and double‐layered polyethylene bags stored at 4 °C. CONCLUSION: Maize flour stored in double‐layered polyethylene bags had the highest carotenoid retention and aroma stability. Importantly, the use of these bags is economically feasible in low‐income countries. Overall, our results show that effective control of storage conditions is crucial to prevent carotenoid loss and decrease off‐odor formation. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Persons with submicroscopic malaria infection are a major reservoir of gametocytes that sustain malaria transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite recent decreases in the national malaria burden in Kenya due to vector control interventions, malaria transmission continues to be high in western regions of the country bordering Lake Victoria. The objective of this study was to advance knowledge of the topographical, demographic and behavioral risk factors associated with submicroscopic malaria infection in the Lake Victoria basin in Kisumu County. Methods: Cross-sectional community surveys for malaria infection were undertaken in three eco-epidemiologically distinct zones in Nyakach sub-County, Kisumu. Adjacent regions were topologically characterized as lakeshore, hillside and highland plateau. Surveys were conducted during the 2019 and 2020 wet and dry seasons. Finger prick blood smears and dry blood spots (DBS) on filter paper were collected from 1,777 healthy volunteers for microscopic inspection and real time-PCR (RT-PCR) diagnosis of Plasmodium infection. Persons who were PCR positive but blood smear negative were considered to harbor submicroscopic infections. Topographical, demographic and behavioral risk factors were correlated with community prevalence of submicroscopic infections. Results: Out of a total of 1,777 blood samples collected, 14.2% (253/1,777) were diagnosed as submicroscopic infections. Blood smear microscopy and RT-PCR, respectively, detected 3.7% (66/1,777) and 18% (319/1,777) infections. Blood smears results were exclusively positive for P. falciparum, whereas RT-PCR also detected P. malariae and P. ovale mono- and co-infections. Submicroscopic infection prevalence was associated with topographical variation (χ2 = 39.344, df = 2, p<0.0001). The highest prevalence was observed in the lakeshore zone (20.6%, n = 622) followed by the hillside (13.6%, n = 595) and highland plateau zones (7.9%, n = 560). Infection prevalence varied significantly according to season (χ2 = 17.374, df = 3, p<0.0001). The highest prevalence was observed in residents of the lakeshore zone in the 2019 dry season (29.9%, n = 167) and 2020 and 2019 rainy seasons (21.5%, n = 144 and 18.1%, n = 155, respectively). In both the rainy and dry seasons the likelihood of submicroscopic infection was higher in the lakeshore (AOR: 2.71, 95% CI = 1.85–3.95; p<0.0001) and hillside (AOR: 1.74, 95% CI = 1.17–2.61, p = 0.007) than in the highland plateau zones. Residence in the lakeshore zone (p<0.0001), male sex (p = 0.025), school age (p = 0.002), and living in mud houses (p = 0.044) increased the risk of submicroscopic malaria infection. Bed net use (p = 0.112) and occupation (p = 0.116) were not associated with submicroscopic infection prevalence. Conclusion: Topographic features of the local landscape and seasonality are major correlates of submicroscopic malaria infection in the Lake Victoria area of western Kenya. Diagnostic tests more sensitive than blood smear microscopy will allow for monitoring and targeting geographic sites where additional vector interventions are needed to reduce malaria transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent Typhoid Fever Surveillance in Africa Program demonstrated an overall adjusted incidence of typhoid fever 2–3 times higher than previous estimates in Africa. Recently, a single-dose typhoid conjugate vaccine that allows infants as young as 6 months old to be vaccinated was prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO). This Vi-based conjugate vaccine demonstrated robust immunogenicity after 1 dose in infants and children 6 through 23 months of age in India with no safety signal, and is currently being tested for the first time on the African continent in Malawi. The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts recommends studies to evaluate co-administering Vi-typhoid conjugate vaccine (Vi-TCV) with routine childhood vaccines in typhoid-endemic countries. The Burkina Faso immunization schedule includes yellow fever vaccine (YFV) at 9 months and meningococcal A conjugate vaccine (MCV-A) at 15 months, in addition to measles-rubella vaccine at both 9 and 15 months. Co-administration testing of Vi-TCV with these routine vaccinations will provide the data needed to support large-scale uptake of Vi-TCV in sub-Saharan Africa. A randomized, controlled, Phase II trial of Vi-TCV co-administration with the vaccinations routinely given at 9 and 15 months of age is planned in Burkina Faso. The overall aim is to assess the safety and immunogenicity of Vi-TCV when co-administered with YFV at 9 months of age and with MCV-A at 15 months of age. A total of 250 participants (100 infants aged 9–11 months and 150 children aged 15–23 months) will be enrolled. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT03614533. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The farm sector is crucial for rural poverty alleviation, alongside the non-farm sector, which contributes to mitigating risks associated with crop failures. This paper investigates the effects of public policies on productive employment within both the farm and non-farm sectors in sub-Saharan Africa. Design/methodology/approach: A meta-analysis is conducted exclusively on the results of the Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP)-funded studies under the Policy Analysis on Growth and Employment (PAGE II) initiative. Selected studies focused on the impact of public policies on productive employment in rural farm and non-farm sectors, encompassing a total of nine sub-Saharan Africa countries in: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Lesotho, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa. Findings: The results indicate that public investments in rural areas and public policies that facilitate access to productive resources are likely to enhance productive employment. The overall effect size is positive and significant, ranging from 2% to 10% increases in productive employment. Sources of variation include the sector of activity and the policy instrument. In addition, the policy effects are gender-sensitive and seem more consistent in the non-farm sector. Research limitations/implications: Although the selected working papers addressed several aspects of productive employment, other aspects warrant further investigation. Policies involving restrictions or regulations have received little attention in the impact analysis. Researches to fill this gap would be important. Another suggestion for further research is the analysis of the relative importance of non-farm employment in rural areas in developing countries. It is always assumed that rural households depend heavily on agriculture for their subsistence. Originality/value: The contribution of the paper lies in the comparative analysis of numerous public policies implemented in nine distinct countries. By consolidating data from fourteen 14 different experiences into a single study, the paper offers valuable insights on factors that determine policy effectiveness and contribute to understanding what worked for whom and why. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation in infants living with HIV before 12 weeks of age can reduce the risk of mortality by 75%. Point‐of‐care (POC) diagnostic testing is critical for prompt ART initiation; however, despite its availability, rates of ART initiation are still relatively low before 12 weeks of age. This systematic review describes the barriers to ART initiation in infants before 12 weeks of age, despite the availability of POC. Methods: This systematic review used a narrative synthesis methodology. We searched PubMed and Scopus using search strategies that combined terms of multiple variants of the keywords "early infant initiation on antiretroviral therapy," "barriers" and "sub‐Saharan Africa" (initial search 18th January 2023; final search 1st August 2023). We included qualitative, observational and mixed methods studies that reported the influences of early infant initiation on ART. We excluded studies that reported influences on other components of the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission cascade. Using a deductive approach guided by the updated Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research, we developed descriptive codes and themes around barriers to early infant initiation on ART. We then developed recommendations for interventions for the identified barriers using the action, actor, target and time framework from the codes. Results: Of the 266 abstracts reviewed, 52 full‐text papers were examined, of which 12 papers were included. South Africa had most papers from a single country (n = 3) and the most reported study design was retrospective (n = 6). Delays in ART initiation beyond 12 weeks in infants 0–12 months were primarily associated with health facility and maternal factors. The most prominent barriers identified were inadequate resources for POC testing (including human resources, laboratory facilities and patient follow‐up). Maternal‐related factors, such as limited male involvement and maternal perceptions of treatment and care, were also influential. Discussion: We identified structural barriers to ART initiation at the health system, social and cultural levels. Improvements in the timely allocation of resources for POC testing operations, coupled with interventions addressing social and behavioural barriers among both mothers and healthcare providers, hold a promise for enhancing timely ART initiation in infants. Conclusions: This paper identifies barriers and proposes strategies for timely ART initiation in infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Africa Journal of Management (AJOM) is devoted to the advancement of management theory, scholarship, practice, service, and education in or about Africa and for the benefit of Africa. The journal was launched at the 2014 Africa Academy of Management (AFAM) Conference in Gaborone, Botswana. Since its launch, AJOM has published 219 documents, including 146 research articles, 26 dialogues/insights/essays, 13 managers' stories, 13 editorials, and nine papers related to the AFAM. We employed a bibliometric analysis to provide a retrospective overview of the work published in the AJOM throughout these past years. We recognize the most cited papers, conduct a co-citation analysis, present author affiliations, keyword analysis, and a general discussion of the most recurrent topics published in the journal. We end with a synopsis of the future of AJOM and support for its continuous growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open access (OA) publishing is altering the scientific, academic, and industrial landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa by enhancing the visibility and accessibility of research. Nevertheless, the sustainability of local OA journals has been reported to be hindered by funding challenges. In this paper, I explored these issues and proposed strategic solutions to ensure the long-term viability of OA journals in the region amidst the current funding constraints. The paper briefly discusses OA publishing, ethical funding models, and strategies to ensure sustainable publishing in the global academic community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open access publication rates have been steadily increasing over time. In spite of this growth, academics in low income settings struggle to gain access to the full canon of research literature. While the vast majority of open access repositories and funding organizations with open access policies are based in high income countries, the geographic patterns of open access publication itself are not well characterized. In this study, we developed a computational approach to better understand the topical and geographical landscape of open access publications in the biomedical research literature. Surprisingly, we found a strong negative correlation between country per capita income and the percentage of open access publication. Open access publication rates were particularly high in sub-Saharan Africa, but vastly lower in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and East Asia and the Pacific. These effects persisted when considering papers only bearing authors from within each region and income group. However, papers resulting from international collaborations did have a higher percentage of OA than single-country papers, and inter-regional collaboration increased OA publication for all world regions. There was no clear relationship between the number of open access policies in a region and the percentage of open access publications in that region. To understand the distribution of open access across topics of biomedical research, we examined keywords that were most enriched and depleted in open access papers. Keywords related to genomics, computational biology, animal models, and infectious disease were enriched in open access publications, while keywords related to the environment, nursing, and surgery were depleted in open access publications. This work identifies geographic regions and fields of research that could be priority areas for open access advocacy. The finding that open access publication rates are highest in sub-Saharan Africa and low income countries suggests that factors other than open access policy strongly influence authors’ decisions to make their work openly accessible. The high proportion of OA resulting from international collaborations indicates yet another benefit of collaborative research. Certain applied fields of medical research, notably nursing, surgery, and environmental fields, appear to have a greater proportion of fee-for-access publications, which presumably creates barriers that prevent researchers and practitioners in low income settings from accessing the literature in those fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global HIV epidemic has undergone significant shifts over the last decade, transforming HIV into a chronic illness. A shift in focus is now sorely needed on how to provide treatment and care to individuals living with HIV that can improve their quality of life by addressing the psychosocial milieu of the disease. In the area of HIV prevention and testing, the benefits of working with couples, rather than individuals, have been delineated and empirically supported. This paper extends the work by proposing a model of a couple-based intervention that can help couples, regardless of HIV concordance status, move through the HIV care cascade, from testing, linkage to care, treatment, and retention using a cognitive-behavioral couples framework. This paper draws primarily on research with heterosexual couples in sub-Saharan Africa, though adapting this framework to meet the needs of diverse couples in other geographical regions is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tests the predictions of various conflicting theories on international trade and development by examining the impact of exporting and importing on economic level and basic needs in two developing countries of two different developing regions of the world; one in Latin America & Caribbean, and one in Sub-Saharan Africa. The two countries are Brazil and South Africa, respectively. Using fifteen-year lagged data that spanned 1984-2019, the paper finds that exporting tends to have negative and significant impact on both economic level and social basic needs in these two countries. Importing, on the other hand, was found to have positive and significant impact on economic level, and social basic needs in both countries. Implications of these findings for public policy and international trade theory development are discussed, and directions for future research are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested if peer-reviewed conservation research output has increased in sub-Saharan African countries over the last 30 years in response to increased development. We carried out a bibliometric analysis to identify the number of conservation research papers published by national authors of 41 sub-Saharan African countries during 1987–2017, to provide an index of national conservation research output. We identified country-specific development factors influencing these totals, using general linear modelling. There were positive relationships between conservation research output and population size, GDP, literacy rate, international tourism receipts and population growth rate, and negative relationships with urban population and agricultural land cover, in total explaining 77% of variation. Thirty-eight per cent of countries contributed < 30 conservation research papers (of 12,701) in 30 years. Analysis of trends in primary authorship in a random subsample of 2,374 of these papers showed that primary authorship by sub-Saharan African authors has increased significantly over time but is now at a lower rate than primary authorship for authors from countries outside the country associated with the search term, usually a European or North American country. Overall, 46% of papers had national primary authors, but 67% of these were South African. The results show that conservation research output in sub-Saharan Africa overall is increasing but only significantly in a few countries, and is still dominated by non-national scientists, probably as a result of a lack of socio-economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the multiple challenges and weaknesses in the policymaking practice that have resulted in policy failures, public sector inefficiencies, and persisting ineffectiveness of public service delivery, many countries in different regions of the world have established what is known as 'policy innovation labs' (PILs), which are novel structures that gather empirical evidence to generate innovative solutions to public problems. The utilization of PILs in policymaking architecture has resulted in the enhancement of public policymaking practice and improved policy performance. Notwithstanding the increasing amount of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of PILs in policymaking, this paper observes a very slow uptake of the idea in Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper relies on a qualitative desktop review to analyze the preparedness of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to successfully establish functional and sustainable PILs. The results of the review show that the current African innovation landscape is not quite ready for the establishment of PILs. This is mostly because of the potential complications arising from the inflexibility of the traditional Weberian bureaucratic model in African countries, which limits receptivity to PIL structures and their modus operandi. In addition, there are observable capacity challenges emanating from the limited financial resources to undertake R&D. The paper concludes that the take-off of PILs remains contingent upon the strength of political will in supporting the whole idea financially, materially, and otherwise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Half of the world's children experience violence every year, but the meaning of violence is not universally agreed. We may therefore risk failing to measure, and address, the acts that matter most to children and adolescents. In this paper, we describe and synthesise evidence on how children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa conceptualise different behavioural acts which are deemed violence in childhood under WHO and UN CRC definitions. Methods and findings: We conducted a systematic review of qualitative studies. We searched PsychINFO, CINAHL, Embase, Global Health, Medline and ERIC for all publications released prior to March 2023. 30 papers met inclusion criteria. We synthesised primary data from children and adolescents and drew upon theoretical and contextual interpretations of authors of included studies. Only 12 of more than 45 sub-Saharan African countries were represented with relevant research. Of the 30 included papers, 25 came from three countries: South Africa, Uganda and Ghana. Only 10 of 30 papers reported data from young children (pre-adolescence), and 18 of 30 papers primarily focused on sexual violence. 14 studies used child friendly and/or participatory methods. From this limited evidence, we identified six overarching themes in how children and adolescents conceptualised their experiences of acts internationally recognised as violence: 1) adults abusing or neglecting responsibility; 2) sexual violence from peers, family and community members; 3) violence in established intimate relationships; 4) emotional violence surrounding sex from peers and community members; 5) fighting and beating between peers; 6) street and community dangers. No studies meeting our inclusion criteria specifically examined children or adolescents' conceptualisations of homophobic or transphobic violence; violence against children with disabilities; boys' experiences of sexual violence from male perpetrators; trafficking, modern slavery or conflict; child labour; or female genital mutilation. We found that three dimensions were important in how children and adolescents constructed conceptualisations of violence: their age, relationship to the perpetrator, and the physical location of acts they had experienced. These dimensions were interrelated and gendered. Conclusion: The current limited evidence base suggests children and adolescents' conceptualisations of violence overlapped with, but were also distinct from, the WHO and UNCRC definitions of violence. Currently international survey tools focus on measuring types and frequencies of particular acts and neglect to focus on children's understandings of those acts. Relationship to perpetrator, age of child, physical location are all important in how children conceptualise their experiences of acts internationally recognised as violence, and therefore might be important for their health and social outcomes. Those developing measures should account for these dimensions when developing items for testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an innovative method to provide a micro-electric tractor which has been developed as part of an initiative that aims to provide socially inclusive and affordable green energy solutions to smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa. It utilizes a 15.0-kW solar array and battery system to power micro-electric tractors for an agricultural practice called deep bed farming in Malawi. Deep bed farming increases smallholder crop yield by about two and half times, which increases revenue by up to 12 times. The extra revenue can then be used to perpetually purchase domestic energy from the solar array, creating a self-sustaining model for decentralized energy access. However, the requirement for land preparation is onerous, and mechanization is needed to help overcome barriers to entry. This paper describes the technical requirements of a solar base station and micro-tractor for use with the deep bed farming technique. The paper covers the 5.9 kWp modular solar design and a 10.0-kWh rated micro-tractor. Testing was undertaken at an isolated grid in Loughborough as a precursor for large-scale testing in Malawi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the challenges of protecting refugees in Sub-Saharan Africa. Reviewing available and relevant literature on refugees and their displacement, it argues that people are compelled to flee their homes and seek refuge across international borders due to poverty, instability, conflict, and climate-related emergencies. They are then placed in overcrowded camps, frequently for extended periods. In theory, African refugees can access one of the most progressive protection schemes in the world. In practice, they confront insurmountable obstacles to their human rights, including coerced return, prejudice, arbitrary detention and arrest, limitations on their freedoms of speech and movement, and violations of their social and economic rights. Refugee law, which was created in the language of human rights and applies to people who are already highly vulnerable, disappears from view amid the poor human rights records of many African countries. From an in-depth argument and reflection on the literature, considering the differing voices and arguments, this paper communicates how, given the rise in extremism and political instability in Sub-Saharan Africa, regional security is at risk if the inadequate protection given to refugee camps is not addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that rapid agricultural productivity growth is necessary for the expansion of manufacturing employment as a share of total employment. This hypothesis is tested utilizing data from 15 African nations. The estimation technique utilized is dynamic ordinary least squares and represents the first use of this technique to study the hypothesis that agricultural productivity growth is an important factor in the growth of manufacturing employment. The results indicate that agricultural productivity growth is a significant positive factor in the expansion of manufacturing employment. This is important in that productivity growth in agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa has until recently been very sluggish. Thus, if manufacturing is to play an important role in this region, then significant investment in raising agricultural productivity needs to occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues for the importance of foregrounding learners' experiences in language-in-education research, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and other postcolonial contexts where there is an unfamiliar language of learning and teaching. Standing firmly on the shoulders of decades of research that compellingly demonstrates a range of ways in which the use of an unfamiliar language is detrimental to classroom practice and learning outcomes, we suggest that there are yet further negative consequences that are currently under-researched. We argue that combining observation of learners with methods that create space for learners to explain their experiences in their own words enables important new insights into how epistemic injustices intersect with broader structural injustices in learners' lives. Our proposition is informed by our work and research in a variety of contexts but draws most heavily from qualitative research conducted with young people in primary and secondary schools in Tanzania, Rwanda and South Africa. Our conclusions demonstrate how learner-focused research could importantly and beneficially extend the evidence base that is available to support calls for changes to language-in-education policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to assess the contribution of insurance to infrastructure development in Sub-Saharan Africa. The researchers used a sample of 31 Sub-Saharan African countries from a panel of data observed over the period 2003–2020. The methodologies used in this paper are the Driscoll-Kraay and Panels Corrected Standard Error. The results show that insurance (life and non-life) positively explains the level of infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, using disaggregated infrastructure indices, the effect remains the same for transport, electricity, and water and sanitation infrastructure. However, insurance has no significant effect on telecommunications infrastructure. Our results remain robust using an instrumental variable technique, two stage least square. The economic policy suggestions concern the improvement of the regulatory framework for the insurance business so that it can participate effectively in financing the economy. In addition, a strengthening of the public–private partnership is commendable in order to provide governments with an alternative source of infrastructure financing, different from the generally used public financing, whose capacity is likely to be insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Understanding the aetiological organisms causing maternal infections is crucial to inform antibiotic treatment guidelines, but such data are scarce from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to address this gap. Methods: Microbiologically confirmed maternal infection data were collected from PubMed, Embase, and African Journals online databases. The search strategy combined terms related to bacterial infection, pregnancy, postnatal period, observational studies, SSA. Exclusion criteria included colonization, asymptomatic infection, and screening studies. Pooled proportions for bacterial isolates and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) were calculated. Quality and completeness of reporting were assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa and STROBE checklists. Findings: We included 14 papers comprising data from 2,575 women from four sources (blood, urine, surgical wound and endocervical). Mixed-growth was commonly reported at 17% (95% CI: 12%-23%), E. coli from 11%(CI:10%-12%), S. aureus from 5%(CI: 5%-6%), Klebsiella spp. at 5%(CI: 4%- 5%) and Streptococcus spp. at 2%(CI: 1%-2%). We observed intra-sample and inter-sample heterogeneity between 88–92% in all meta-analyses. AMR rates were between 19% -77%, the highest with first-line beta-lactam antibiotics. Convenience sampling, and limited reporting of laboratory techniques were areas of concern. Interpretation: We provide a comprehensive summary of microbial aetiology of maternal infections in SSA and demonstrate the paucity of data available for this region. We flag the need to review the current local and international empirical treatment guidelines for maternal bacterial infections in SSA because there is high prevalence of AMR among common causative bacteria. Funding: This research was supported by the NIHR-Professorship/NIHR300808 and the Wellcome-Strategic-award /206545/Z/17/Z. Trial registration: Prospero ID CRD42021238515. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is no longer a myth that climate change‐related disasters are on the rise globally, with severe and devastating consequences in developing countries, particularly in Sub‐Saharan Africa, where many of the world's poor people reside. Thus, the emphasis on adaptation to climate change is no longer a choice or a deferred problem into the future, but rather an urgent matter of concern which must be considered a policy priority. As a response to retrogressive climate change challenges on social‐economic development and environmental degradation, the government of South Africa has in the last two and half decades, embarked on the progressive formulation of different policy instruments and strategic frameworks to curb and minimize the impacts of climate change on all sub‐sectors of the economy. Although much remains to be achieved, some level of success has been realized, particularly in the space of policy formulation, albeit the poor record of implementation. Using research methods inspired by the tradition of qualitative research and an appraisal of existing literature, this paper discusses the complexities of climate change adaptation governance at a local government level in South Africa, focusing on the Eastern Cape Province. It is argued in the paper that one of the major challenges for climate change governance at local municipality levels in South Africa emanates from the gap between aspirations and actions across the entire national governance system. The absence of an integrated climate change governance system has posed significant systemic challenges, and these have tended to constrain decision‐making and implementation processes. These issues have been discussed within the broader discourse of the sustainable development goals, particularly goals number 13, 16 and 17. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to establish whether trust plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between access to microcredit and survival of young women microenterprises in under-developed financial markets in sub-Saharan Africa. The main focus of this paper is to specifically test whether relational social capital built by young women from homogeneous and heterogeneous groups can be more effective in promoting economic exchange in under-developed financial markets since interpersonal trust has recently been found to harbor group collusion, especially among kins. Overall, the paper distinguishes trust among individuals based on their age, gender and ethnic diversity. Design/methodology/approach: This study used structural equation model to test whether trust significantly mediates the relationship between access to microcredit and survival of young women microenterprises using Analysis of Moments Structures (AMOS) based on recommendations by Hair et al. (2022) and Baron and Kenny (1986). Findings: The findings from this study revealed that trust significantly and positively mediate the relationship between access to microcredit and survival of young women microenterprises in under-developed financial markets in sub-Saharan Africa. Trust developed from relational social capital among young women from homogeneous and heterogeneous groups create a stronger basis for economic exchange in under-developed financial markets. Research limitations/implications: While this study generates a positive evidence on the impact of access to microcredit on survival of young women microenterprises, the results cannot be over emphasized and generalized because the data were collected from only a single developing country. Future research may extend the current study to include other developing countries to make a more justified comprehensive analysis. Practical implications: The findings from this study highlights the importance of using a blend of social policy guided by norms combined with formal regulations as an informal contract enforcement mechanism to achieve efficient economic exchange in under-developed financial markets. Relational social capital formed on the basis of informal norms among groups from diverse population can supplement formal laws to enforce contractual obligations in microcredit access, especially among youthful microentrepreneurs, who seems to have stronger relational behaviors than adults. Financial institutions such as banks should use informal contract enforcement system to increase the scope of financial inclusion of young microentrepreneurs, especially in unbanked rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda inclusive where formal laws are weak and sometimes not functional. The findings also show that younger people have a stronger relationship behavior than adults. Therefore, policy should create structures that can promote social activities among youth. Governments in sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda inclusive through their respective Ministry of Gender, Labour and Youth Affairs should create youth clubs that can increase interaction and relational social capital among the younger population to derive economic empowerment. sub-Saharan African governments, Uganda inclusive should rely more on social policy based on relational social capital as a missing link to promote and achieve economic development. Originality/value: This paper provides an evidence on the unique role of age, gender and ethnicity in information sharing and exchange based on social policy in the financial market to limit group collusion. The authors indicate that diversity in relational social capital among young women microentrepreneurs prohibit strategic defaults, which promotes access to microcredit for survival of women micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through socialization. High level of interaction among younger women microentrepreneurs from homogeneous and heterogeneous groups allow them to close the information gap to timely meet borrowing contractual obligations to derive economic benefits. The paper shows that younger women have more trust than older women while searching for economic value through socialization. In fact, social policy can wholly supplement formal policy to promote growth and survival of young women microenterprises, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda inclusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable financial source for artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) has been a topic of concern for researchers, politicians, policy makers, civil society organisations, international donors and other development stakeholders in mineral-rich countries. This paper uses a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed journal articles published from 2010 to 2022 to identify and evaluate ASM financial sources in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The main financial sources identified are cooperative funds, government support, international development organisations, commercial banks, mineral buyers and individual financiers. Although informal financial sources (like private sponsors and mineral buyers) are reported to be exploitative and insufficient, the miners depend on them as they face bureaucratic and complicated procedures to access credit from formal sources like banks and government microcredits. Simplified formalisation procedures enable miners to easily comply with formal financial source conditionality. Government policies in mineral-rich countries should be aligned to create a conducive environment for multiple financial source availability so as to ensure economical decisions for profitable mining and better livelihood outcomes for people in ASM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is regarded as a region with one of the worst cases of armed conflict and climate risk. This paper examines the interactive effect of armed conflict and climate risk on gender vulnerability in SSA. Design/methodology/approach: The difference and system generalised method of movement (GMM) were used to examine the relationship between the variables using annualised data of 35 SSA countries from 1998 to 2019. Findings: The paper found strong evidence that armed conflict and climate change are positive predictors of gender vulnerability. The impact of climate change on gender vulnerability is found to be more direct than indirect. Practical implications: The direct and indirect positive effect of armed conflict and climate change on gender vulnerability implies that climate change drives gender vulnerability through multiple channels. This underscores the need for a multi-disciplinary policy approach to addressing gender vulnerability problem in SSA. Originality/value: The study contributes to the climate action debate by highlighting the need for climate action to incorporate gender inclusive policies such as massive investment in infrastructure and safety nets that offer protection to the most vulnerable girls and women affected by armed conflict and climate change. Societies should as a matter of urgency strive to structural barriers that predispose girls and women to biodiversity loss. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-09-2022-0595 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) is a partnership of European and sub-Saharan African countries that aims to accelerate the development of medical interventions against poverty-related diseases (PRDs). A bibliometric analysis was conducted to 1) measure research output from European and African researchers on PRDs, 2) describe collaboration patterns, and 3) assess the citation impact of clinical research funded by EDCTP. Methodology/Principal Findings: Disease-specific research publications were identified in Thomson Reuters Web of Science using search terms in titles, abstracts and keywords. Publication data, including citation counts, were extracted for 2003–2011. Analyses including output, share of global papers, normalised citation impact (NCI), and geographical distribution are presented. Data are presented as five-year moving averages. European EDCTP member countries accounted for ~33% of global research output in PRDs and sub-Saharan African countries for ~10% (2007–2011). Both regions contributed more to the global research output in malaria (43.4% and 22.2%, respectively). The overall number of PRD papers from sub-Saharan Africa increased markedly (>47%) since 2003, particularly for HIV/AIDS (102%) and tuberculosis (TB) (81%), and principally involving Southern and East Africa. For 2007–2011, European and sub-Saharan African research collaboration on PRDs was highly cited compared with the world average (NCI in brackets): HIV/AIDS 1.62 (NCI: 1.16), TB 2.11 (NCI: 1.06), malaria 1.81 (NCI: 1.22), and neglected infectious diseases 1.34 (NCI: 0.97). The NCI of EDCTP-funded papers for 2003–2011 was exceptionally high for HIV/AIDS (3.24), TB (4.08) and HIV/TB co-infection (5.10) compared with global research benchmarks (1.14, 1.05 and 1.35, respectively). Conclusions: The volume and citation impact of papers from sub-Saharan Africa has increased since 2003, as has collaborative research between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. >90% of publications from EDCTP-funded research were published in high-impact journals and are highly cited. These findings corroborate the benefit of collaborative research on PRDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In‐field soil testing and soil mapping can contribute to addressing the challenge of poor soil fertility and limited fertilizer application across sub‐Saharan Africa. Semi‐quantitative colorimetric methods, such as paper test strips, are frequently employed in soil nutrient assessment across developing countries, especially in South‐East Asia. This research investigated the accuracy of nutrient‐sensitive paper strips and smartphone, which was re‐purposed to act as a reflectometer, to assess soil nitrate‐N, and different methods for mapping soil fertility to identify areas of land that are suitable for human waste‐derived fertilizers (HWDF) application. The study entailed testing soil samples across 42 different farms in Kenya and Ghana and compared it to laboratory results in‐country. It was found that paper strips were capable of assessing available nitrate‐N concentration present in the soil within ±20 kg ha−1 of the standard method for 86% of the farms. Paper strips were less effective in Ghana as they had been calibrated for a method that was not used by local laboratories. Paper strips were not effective for HWDF samples, where chemical interferences and concentration of different forms of nitrates were too high, resulting in overestimation of readings and thus negatively affecting any associated nutrient management advice. Soil mapping has the potential to use open‐source data to inform farmers through mobile technology. For soil mapping two methods were deployed which includes targeting organic matter deficient areas and stakeholder led mapping, with the latter shown to be more effective in identifying areas for HWDF application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Using data for a set of 32 Sub-Saharan countries over the years 2000, 2005 and 2010, the paper investigates the effects of domestic governmental stability upon emigration and assesses whether education and gender shape the relationship. Design/methodology/approach: The paper adopts instrumental variable (IV) Poisson regressions and two-stage least squares (2SLS) as robustness tests. Findings: The paper suggests that increased governmental stability has a larger impact on the emigration of high-skilled individuals. Nevertheless, once emigrants are partitioned according to both education and gender, the authors find evidence of a larger impact of stability on the emigration of highly educated females. Research limitations/implications: The empirical findings may lack generalizability because of the chosen research approach. Then, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further. Practical implications: The paper includes implications that can be drawn for both the growth and the development of Sub-Saharan Africa. Originality/value: This paper fulfills an identified need to study how both education and gender shape the relationship between domestic governmental stability and emigration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is the region most vulnerable to climate change and related hydro-meteorological risks. These risks are exacerbated in rapidly expanding urban areas due to the loss and degradation of green and blue spaces with their regulating ecosystem services. The potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) to mitigate hydro-meteorological risks such as floods is increasingly recognized in Europe. However, its application in urban areas of SSA still needs to be systematically explored to inform and promote its uptake in this region. We conducted a multidisciplinary systematic review following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) protocol to establish the general patterns in the literature on NBS and hydro-meteorological risk mitigation in SSA. We searched scientific journal databases, websites of 12 key institutions and 11 NBS databases and identified 45 papers for analysis. We found at least one reported NBS in 71 % of urban areas of SSA across 83 locations. 62 % of the papers were clustered in South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria only, while the most studied cities were Dar es Salaam and Kampala. Moreover, 66 NBS practices were identified, most of which (n=44) were for flood mitigation. With only Mozambique (n=2) reporting NBS among the most at-risk countries, we found that NBS are implemented where risks occur but not where they are most severe. Mangrove restoration and wetland restoration, reforestation and urban forests, and agroforestry and conservation agriculture were the most common NBS practices identified for floods, extreme heat and drought mitigation, respectively. Traditional practices that fit the definition of NBS, such as grass strips and stone bunds, and practices more popular in the Global North, such as green roofs and green façades, were also identified. These NBS also provided ecosystem services, including 15 regulatory, 5 provisioning and 4 cultural ecosystem services, while 4 out of every 5 NBS created livelihood opportunities. We conclude that reported uptake of NBS for hydro-meteorological risks in SSA is low. However, there could be more NBS, especially at the local level, that are unreported. Furthermore, NBS can help SSA address major development challenges such as water and food insecurity and unemployment and help the sub-region develop climate-resiliently. We, therefore, recommend that NBS be mainstreamed into urban planning and for knowledge exchange opportunities between SSA and Europe and other regions to be explored to promote uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify the factors enabling and limiting family medicine (FM) programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Design: A narrative review was conducted by searching a variety of databases. Papers focusing on the training, deployment, or contribution to healthcare systems of doctors with postgraduate training in FM in SSA, published in peer-reviewed journals from 2015 onwards and in English language were included. Included papers underwent qualitative analysis. Results: Seventy-one papers were included in the review. 38% focussed on South Africa, while papers focussing on FM in a further 15 countries in SSA were identified. Key factors enabling FM programmes are support from key stakeholders, recognition of family practitioners (FP) as specialists, international collaboration, and dedicated FPs. Key factors limiting FM programmes are a lack of sufficient and well-trained faculty, inappropriate training settings, higher rates of trainee attrition, lack of FM in undergraduate curriculums, lack of career pathways, inappropriate deployment, and a lack of a critical mass. Conclusions: Support from national stakeholders, the recognition of FPs as specialists, and sustainable international collaboration promote FM programmes. The absence of a defined role within the healthcare system, low numbers of FM faculty, a poor presence in undergraduate curriculum, high attrition rate of trainees and the lack of a critical mass limit FM programmes. The standardisation of the role of FM and the implementation of undergraduate and postgraduate FM programmes with national and international collaboration could enable FM to reach a critical mass and realise its full potential in strengthening primary healthcare in SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Aerosol pollutants are known to raise the risk of development of non-communicable respiratory diseases (NCRDs) such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and allergic rhinitis. Sub-Saharan Africa's rapid pace of urbanization, economic expansion, and population growth raise concerns of increasing incidence of NCRDs. This research characterizes the state of research on pollution and NCRDs in the 46 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This research systematically reviewed the literature on studies of asthma; chronic bronchitis; allergic rhinitis; and air pollutants such as particulate matter, ozone, NOx, and sulfuric oxide.Methods: We searched three major databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus) using the key words "asthma", "chronic bronchitis", "allergic rhinitis", and "COPD" with "carbon monoxide (CO)", "sulfuric oxide (SO)", "ozone (O3)", "nitrogen dioxide (NO2)", and "particulate matter (PM)", restricting the search to the 46 countries that comprise SSA. Only papers published in scholarly journals with a defined health outcome in individuals and which tested associations with explicitly measured or modelled air exposures were considered for inclusion. All candidate papers were entered into a database for review.Results: We found a total of 362 unique research papers in the initial search of the three databases. Among these, 14 met the inclusion criteria. These papers comprised studies from just five countries. Nine papers were from South Africa; two from Malawi; and one each from Ghana, Namibia, and Nigeria. Most studies were cross-sectional. Exposures to ambient air pollutants were measured using spectrometry and chromatography. Some studies created composite measures of air pollution using a range of data layers. NCRD outcomes were measured by self-reported health status and measures of lung function (spirometry). Populations of interest were primarily schoolchildren, though a few studies focused on secondary school students and adults.Conclusions: The paucity of research on NCRDs and ambient air pollutant exposures is pronounced within the African continent. While capacity to measure air quality in SSA is high, studies targeting NCRDs should work to draw attention to questions of outdoor air pollution and health. As the climate changes and SSA economies expand and countries urbanize, these questions will become increasingly important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review investigates the intricate interplay between COVID-19 and climate change, focusing on their collective repercussions on Sub-Saharan Africa's agricultural sector and food security. The paper aims to scrutinize existing literature to elucidate the multifaceted implications of COVID-19 and climate change on agriculture and food security. A review of scholarly articles, reports, and case studies was conducted to ensure a thorough analysis. Findings indicate that COVID-19 disruptions exacerbate the challenges posed by climate change, particularly through supply chain disruptions and labor shortages. Small-scale farmers demonstrate greater resilience due to their diverse and locally-oriented systems, while larger-scale farmers with more capital fare relatively better. In conclusion, urgent adaptive strategies and resilience-building measures are essential. Promoting diversified farming systems, enhancing smallholder capabilities, and advocating for international collaboration to address these synergistic threats effectively is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable agricultural progress is one of the world's greatest challenges in the twenty-first century as the global population is estimated to rise to over nine billion by 2050. Over the years, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the African Union (AU) have sought prosperous African Policies based on sustainable agriculture and inclusive growth. Additionally, the AU has adopted the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) policy framework. Given the growing need for innovative policies and studies to reduce the negative environmental effects of agricultural development in Africa, this paper investigates the significance of green finance and digital technologies on green agricultural growth in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from 2003 to 2018. Analysis of panel co-integration estimates indicates all variables are integrated. Using the panel-corrected standard errors estimator for long-run equilibrium co-integration assessment, the outcomes indicate mitigated green finance (MGF), internet and mobile phone use (IMU), as well as sustainable energy utilization (RE), individually and collectively exert a positive effect on agriculture, forestry and fishing value added (AVA). Additionally, panel causality estimates indicate (i) a bi-directional causality between MGF and AVA. (ii) A uni-directional causality running from IMU towards AVA without any rebound effect. For policy insights, the AU could urge member states to implement macro-policies to increase agricultural green credit to sustain food production and employment generation. Similarly, the FAO and AU could provide technical support in digital agricultural research and value chains towards ensuring sustainable agriculture development in SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shares new insights on the dynamics of entrepreneurship in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, focusing on the case of sub-Saharan Africa. Despite being the region's most important rural nonfarm activity, and generating finance that sustains a sizable portion of its subsistence/smallholder agricultural economy, ASM has barely featured in the business and management literature. It has rather been scholars from other disciplines who have shared opinions on the individuals who pursue work in this sector and why. They are in broad agreement that in sub-Saharan Africa, ASM sites attract, at the one extreme, people who are desperate for income (the "poverty-driven" category) and, at the other extreme, individuals motivated by the possibility of becoming wealthy (the "get-rich-quick" category). These two narratives map, virtually wholesale, on to the necessity-based-opportunity-based typology of entrepreneurship that business and management scholars have interrogated for decades. This paper fuses these narratives with the typology, with the goal of showcasing ASM within an evolving body of literature on entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa. It then draws on a case study of Kéniéba District (Mali), the location of one of the region's more dynamic gold-panning industries, to articulate more clearly the sector's different entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) is one of the fastest urbanising cities in sub-Saharan Africa, which has implications for its food security. Based on ethnographic research that focused on understanding how day-to-day agricultural practices are configured, we study the responses of farmers to a changing urban environment. We describe urban agriculture as an expression of active city-making; something which is uncommon since the agricultural sector is typically presented as passive and helpless in the face of urban growth. This paper shows that farmers, despite not being accounted for in urban narratives, co-shape what the city looks like and how it functions. By crafting networks of provision based on the informal access to land and water, they offer food, employment, and more for the improvement of their lives and the wider citizenry. In opposition to land pressure and water resource degradation, farmers adapt their agricultural strategies to benefit from what they can access while dealing with the uncertainties of changing realities. Based on our findings which reflect the characteristics of everyday urbanism, we discuss implications for theory and governance. With African cities risking to grow hungry, a better representation of urban farmers and their irrigated agricultural production in urban planning and governance reduces uncertainties and risks, both for farmers and the wider city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple estimates exist of global monetary and multidimensional poverty, but populations at risk of social exclusion still lack a worldwide estimate. This paper fills this gap by providing the first estimates of the share and number of populations at risk of social exclusion worldwide. The paper contributes to the literature in three important respects. First, it develops a conceptual framework of social exclusion that emphasizes the relative, multidimensional, and dynamic features of exclusion. Second, it proposes a macro-counting methodology that allows measuring populations at risk of exclusion based on identity, circumstances, and socioeconomic conditions, while advancing a protocol to avoid double counting of individuals at risk of social exclusion. Third, the empirical strategy provides to the best of our knowledge, the first estimates of populations at risk of social exclusion by dimensions of exclusion on a global and regional scale. Overall, we estimate that between 2.33 and 2.43 billion people—roughly 32 per cent of the global population—are at risk of social exclusion. The South Asia and East Asia and Pacific regions contain 1.3 billion such people, with India and China alone home to 840 million of them. Meanwhile, 52 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa's population is vulnerable to exclusion, the greatest share of any region. Our findings have important policy implications. While antipoverty policies can support household consumption and smooth its volatility among the poor, they are unlikely to address social exclusion stemming from ethnic, racial, or gender discrimination. Therefore, addressing exclusion necessitates a suite of multiple interventions tailored to distinct groups and sustained over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to swiftly transition to clean energy and expand electricity access is pressing; however, the goals of SDG7 are unlikely to be met by 2030, with the UN specifically mentioning land‐locked states as being off track. Through the conceptual lens of 'leapfrogging' fossil fuels, straight from traditional fuel sources to renewable energy, this paper discusses the relationship between electricity production and independence. It makes a conceptual contribution by introducing the term 'energy independence through leapfrogging', which is used to characterise the process of reducing dependency on another country – in the case of Eswatini, electricity is supplied by South Africa. Drawing from empirical research in Eswatini involving document analysis and in‐depth interviews, this paper discusses the potential for the country to move from being primarily an importer of electricity to generating its own supply from renewable sources. With Eswatini's current electricity supply from South Africa at risk/expiring in 2025, this research argues that the country faces a moment of opportunity for Eswatini to build further generation capacity, with a recommended focus on solar energy. The paper identifies potential challenges/barriers to this energy transition, examining power generation, storage, maintenance and affordability as key areas for intervention. Drawing on previous theories of electricity access, the paper argues that 'access' to electricity requires consideration of the affordability and reliability of energy systems. Eswatini is an understudied geographical area, and this paper makes a contribution to the literature on energy transitions by examining the specific circumstances attending this transition and examining these with relevance for other land‐locked nations in sub‐Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of yield gaps has become more complex, prompting the use of varied approaches to measure yields and a wider range of factors to explain these gaps. In the Global North, the focus is on precision farming, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), a broader perspective is necessary due to pronounced variability in farmland conditions. While biogeophysical and management factors have been traditional focal points in yield gap analyses, socio-economic and institutional factors are increasingly recognized as significant, especially in SSA. This review synthesizes research from the past decade in SSA that integrates biogeophysical, management, farm characteristics, and institutional factors in yield gap discussions. The findings indicate a slow shift in including socio-economic factors, with management, particularly nutrient supply and crop management, remaining predominant. However, there is a growing trend towards methodological diversity, such as the adoption of remote sensing and GIS in recent years. Case studies from Kenya and Ghana, utilizing field surveys, interviews, panel data, and spatial analysis, highlight how a multifaceted approach can enhance our understanding of the various elements influencing maize yield gaps in SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the institutional factors that tend to matter for capital inflows, for middle-income SubSaharan African (SSA) countries. Previous studies have focused more on macroeconomic push and pull factors and less on institutional factors. The paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics between institutional quality and capital flows to middle-income SSA countries; with capital flows disaggregated into foreign direct investment (FDI), portfolio equity, and portfolio debt. The study found that countries that attract high capital inflows tend to have better institutional quality, although better institutional quality has not always translated to higher capital inflows. During the 1990s, the pick-up in capital inflows occurred with improvements in conflict, democratic accountability, government stability, investment profile, and law and order. However, corruption and bureaucratic quality deteriorated, indicating that these factors weighed less in the increase in capital inflows. Differences in dynamics by type of capital flow show portfolio debt better tracking law and order compared to the other capital flows. To our knowledge, this may be the first study of its kind to explore the institutional factors for capital flows at a disaggregated level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

eHealth is promoted as a means to strengthen health systems and facilitate universal health coverage. Sub-components (e.g. telehealth, telemedicine, mhealth) are seen as mitigators of healthcare provider shortages and poor rural and remote access. Teleradiology (including mobile teleradiology), widespread in developed nations, is uncommon in developing nations. Decision- and policy-makers require evidence to inform their decisions regarding implementation of mobile teleradiology in Nigeria and other sub- Saharan countries. To gather evidence, Scopus and PubMed were searched using defined search strings (September 2020). Duplicates were removed, and titles and abstracts reviewed using specified selection criteria. Full-text papers of selected resources were retrieved and reviewed against the criteria. Insight from included studies was charted for eight a priori categories of information: needs assessment, implementation, connectivity, evaluation, costing, image display, image capture and concordance. Fifty-seven articles were identified, duplicates removed and titles and abstracts of remaining articles reviewed against study criteria. Twenty-six papers remained. After review of full-texts, ten met the study criteria. These were summarised, and key insights for the eight categories were charted. Few papers have been published on teleradiology in sub-Saharan Africa. Teleradiology, including mobile teleradiology, is feasible in sub-Saharan Africa for routine X-ray support of patients and healthcare providers in rural and remote locations. Former technical issues (image quality, transmission speed, image compression) have been largely obviated through the high-speed, high-resolution digital imaging and network transmission capabilities of contemporary smartphones and mobile networks, where accessible. Comprehensive studies within the region are needed to guide the widespread introduction of mobile teleradiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses initiatives which took British young people from ethnic minority and disenfranchised backgrounds to volunteer in sub‐Saharan Africa. It asks whether decolonial possibilities can be seen in the politics of youthful fun and friendship amid a practice undeniably driven by interpenetrating neocolonial logics, where enrolment in helping "needy" others is seen as a means to "improve" working‐class and racially marked youth. The paper argues that volunteers' investments in leisure constituted a politics of refusal towards how they were acted upon as objects of concern. More ambivalently, playful, friendly interactions between British and African youth disrupted relations of charitable pity and signalled desires for solidarity and equality, but cannot be claimed as fully decolonial. At times, fun also re‐entrenched neocolonial and other oppressive relations. Overall, the paper demonstrates that a close reading of the multivalent, affective politics of young people's fun and friendship can reveal much about the reproduction or subversion of contemporary neocolonial logics that operate both within and beyond the borders of postcolonial Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This article attempts to formulate a school-based model to capitalise on the opportunities and strengths within schools in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) regions to ideate global school-driven digital innovation(s). Consequently, this article explores various digital innovation challenges, opportunities, and elements for schools, as well as proposed school-driven interventions. The paper seeks to open conversations among various international bodies and educational stakeholders, leading to school actors taking ownership of educational projects and school innovation. Methods: A traditional literature review was adopted to analyse the subject of Digital Transformation in Education (DTE). The traditional literature review is a comprehensive and critical overview based on the past and current literature on a subject matter without stringent methodology. Through the literature review methodology, existing materials on the subject matter are subsequently used. Terms and concepts about school innovation and management/leadership were extracted for consideration. These served as a basis for formulating a reference DTE model for interventions. This paper is underpinned by two main conceptual and theoretical bases: (i) The theory of school-based management and its related indicators, and (ii) Michael Fullan's concept of school innovation, which is based on the three key factors of Technology, Pedagogy, and Change knowledge. Fullan's concept is extended to showcase how Active Learning (AL) can inform pedagogical innovation. Results: This paper presents a school-based digital transformation in the education reference model as the outcome. The model uses concept maps to showcase the interrelations between DTE indicators and concepts, and the linkages around which Digital Transformation in Education could be developed as a School-Based Managed (SBM) agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presently, the COVID-19 vaccine is seen as a means to an end in light of other challenges, such as vaccine inequity. Through COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX), an initiative founded to guarantee fair and equitable distribution, vaccine hesitancy remains a critical component that needs to be addressed in sub-Saharan Africa. Utilizing a documentary search strategy and using the keywords and subject headings Utilitarianism and COVID-19 or Vaccine hesitancy and sub-Saharan Africa, this paper identified 67 publications from different databases (PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science), which were further screened by title and full text to achieve (n = 6) publications that were analyzed. The reviewed papers demonstrate that vaccine hesitancy occurs against a colonial backdrop of inequities in global health research, social–cultural complexities, poor community involvement and public distrust. All of these factors undermine the confidence that is crucial for sustaining collective immunity in vaccine programs. Even though mass vaccination programs are known to limit personal freedom, the exchange of information between healthcare professionals and citizens must be improved to encourage complete disclosure of vaccine information at the point of delivery. Moreover, addressing components of vaccine hesitancy should involve relying not on coercive public policies but on consistent ethical strategies that go beyond current healthcare ethics toward broader bioethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender inequity, including low sexual relationship power (SRP), is an important determinant of intimate partner violence (IPV) and negative sexual, reproductive, and mental health. Different versions of the Sexual Relationship Power Scale (SRPS) are commonly used within youth studies to examine how gender inequities, including controlling behaviors, in heterosexual relationships impact the lives of young people in sub-Saharan Africa. This review aims to (1) describe definitions and measures of SRP within sub-Saharan African youth studies and (2) review and summarize associations between SRP equity, IPV, and sexual, reproductive, and mental health. After searching Pubmed, Ovid Med, Psych info, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and relevant research forums, 304 papers were identified, of which 29 papers based on 15 distinct studies (published 2004–2019) met our criteria for being youth-specific, conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, and including a quantitative measure of SRP. Details of each SRPS are described, including any adaptations and psychometric properties, as well as associations with IPV, sexual, reproductive, and mental health behaviors and outcomes. Results indicate that there are variations to the SRPS, and a paucity of evidence has detailed the psychometric properties of such measures within sub-Saharan African youth studies. Measures of SRP equity are associated with experiences (among women) and perpetration of (among men) IPV as numerous pathways to HIV risk; however, the evidence remains mixed. In order to address overlapping epidemics of violence against women and HIV, efforts are needed to ensure that measures, including the SRPS, are valid and reliable among highly affected populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peer support has been proposed as a promising policy intervention for addressing adverse maternal and child healthcare (MCH) outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Existing reviews on peer support largely draw on evidence from high-income countries or focus on single services like breastfeeding, nutrition or postnatal care. In contrast, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the empirical literature on peer support interventions across various MCH services in sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, we aim to understand how, why, for whom, and in what circumstances different forms of MCH peer support interventions contribute to improving healthcare outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: This review follows five iterative steps for undertaking realist reviews (1) defining the review scope; (2) developing initial programme theories; (3) searching for evidence; (4) selecting and appraising evidence; and (5) extracting, analysing and synthesising evidence. Four databases–Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE–were repeatedly searched between March and June 2021. From a large volume of records retrieved from the database and citation search, 61 papers have been selected for review. We will conduct a second search of the same database covering June 2021 to the present before the final extraction and synthesis. The final list of selected papers will be imported into NVivo 12 software and organised, extracted, analysed and synthesised iteratively to examine and illustrate the causal links between contexts, mechanisms and outcomes of MCH peer support interventions in SSA. We have drawn on the existing literature on peer support in healthcare generally to develop initial programme theories. We will then use the empirical literature on MCH peer support interventions in SSA, inputs from a stakeholders' workshop in Ghana and a conference presentation to refine the initial programme theory. Discussion: The review will develop an explicit theory of peer support intervention in healthcare delivery and provide insights for developing evidence-informed policy on the intervention. Drawing lessons from the different national contexts and diverse areas of MCH in SSA, the review will provide an analytically generalizable programme theory that can guide intervention design and implementation. While focusing on MCH peer support interventions in SSA, the review contributes to evolving conversations on the use of theory for health policy planning and complex intervention design and implementation globally. Trial registration: PROSPERO registration ID: CRD42023427751. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]