International Funding Agencies Research Articles

The mediating role of stewardship behaviour on leadership competencies and sustainability of government projects in developing economies

Purpose Project sustainability aims at ensuring that institutions are supported through projects and the benefits realised are maintained and continue after the end of the project. This study looks at how leadership competencies (LC) influences sustainability of government projects (SGP) to achieve sustainability goals. The study examines the mediating effect of stewardship behaviour on LC and SGPs in developing economies. Design/methodology/approach The study collected numerical data using a cross-sectional survey design to investigate the phenomena of SGPs at a specific point in time. Data for the study were gathered from 108 projects in the Ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Industry as well as Ministry of Health. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, and the projects were selected using a simple random sampling technique. The study used regression and process macros model 4 to determine the direct, indirect and total effects. Findings The study findings showed a significant effect of the SGPs on LC. Stewardship behaviour had a significant effect on LC. The findings also showed a significant effect of the SGPs on stewardship behaviour. Lastly, the effect of LC on the SGPs was significantly mediated by stewardship behaviour, confirming that stewardship behaviour is an inherent resource that needs to be prioritised to improve the SGPs in developing countries. Originality/value There is growing criticism among nongovernmental organisations and environmental groups that national governments and international funding agencies prioritise the economic sustainability and viability of their projects over the impact of project sustainability on more general development issues, like the environment or the conditions of the most impoverished segments of society. The SGP considerations is being replaced by more general sustainable development concerns. The research fills in these knowledge gaps in the field of project management with a focus on SGPs through integrating stewardship behaviour and LC as predictors. Stewardship behaviour is a vital resource for improving the SGPs in developing nations.

THE IMPACT OF STAKEHOLDER INTERACTIONS ON THE SUPPLY CHAIN RISKS OF MEGAPROJECTS IN AFRICA

The successful delivery of megaprojects is frequently impeded by the complex and multifaceted risks associated with their supply chains. These challenges are exacerbated by the diverse network of stakeholders involved, encompassing both internal entities, such as contractors and consultants, and external actors, including governmental bodies and local communities. In the African context, these stakeholder networks are further complicated by decentralized governance structures and the involvement of international funding agencies. This study investigates the intricate relationships among stakeholders in African megaprojects through the lens of social network theory, aiming to understand how these interactions influence supply chain risk management. Online questionnaires administered in Ghana and South Africa produced 120 valid responses. Utilizing a partial correlation network analysis, the research identifies the central stakeholders within the network, examining the nature and strength of their interactions. The findings reveal that stakeholder interactions are predominantly characterized by information exchange, with consultants and clients emerging as pivotal actors due to their high centrality metrics—strength, closeness, and betweenness. These central stakeholders play a critical role in decision-making processes, information dissemination, and risk mitigation strategies within the supply chain. Moreover, the study highlights the significance of both strong and weak ties within the stakeholder network. While strong ties, such as those involving consultants, are key for shaping project outcomes, weak ties, particularly with external stakeholders such as local communities, provide access to diverse information and help identify emerging risks. The robust network model, evaluated through bootstrapping techniques, underscores the reliability of these findings, although it also calls for cautious interpretation due to some variability in edge weight estimations. This research contributes to the understanding of stakeholder interactions in African megaprojects and offers practical implications for improving supply chain risk management. By leveraging the insights gained from stakeholder centrality and interaction patterns, project managers can enhance communication, foster collaboration, and address risks more effectively, ultimately improving the overall success of megaprojects.

Are indicated prevention and effective early intervention achievable goals for youth with bipolar mood disorders?

Compared with other areas of mental health research that are focused on the active and early management of youth presenting in the early stages of major mental disorders, there has been a relative lack of focus on young people with emerging or established bipolar disorders. Recently, this has stimulated both international professional societies (e.g., International Society for Bipolar Disorders [ISBD] Early Intervention Task Force) and funding agencies from Canada, UK, Australia, and the USA – including the Daymark Foundation (Jain et al. 2023), Wellcome Trust (2022), National Health and Medical Research Council, and BD2 – to promote a focus on identifying the major challenges in this field and gathering support for novel research and clinical service programmes.

Transforming the Health Research Workforce in Mozambique: Achievements of the Mozambique Institute for Health Education and Research (MIHER) over a 13‑Year Journey.

Background: African research capacity is challenged by insufficient infrastructure to solicit and manage grants from local and international funding agencies. Objective: The manuscript provides an overview and discusses lessons learned about the pioneering role of the Mozambique Institute for Health Education and Research (MIHER) as the first research support center (RSC) in supporting the management of research grants in Mozambique, emphasizing its impact on research capacity development. Methods: Using mixed methods, data were comprehensively collected to identify MIHER's primary achievements from 2010 to 2023. The activities took place in four public universities, five training institutions for healthcare workers, and 40 public healthcare units in Mozambique. Findings: MIHER had partnership contracts with over 35 external institutions, and supported the design and implementation of one doctoral program and five masters' degree programs at three public universities. Over 70% of the 128 MSc and three Ph.D. degree recipients have gone on to become lecturers at Mozambique's public universities or are working in Mozambique's public health system. Over 9,000 lecturers and healthcare workers participated in MIHER's 261 research capacity development workshops. MIHER assisted in writing and implementing 98 research grants, amassing $29,923,197 in extramural support. Of 170 publications generated, 89% were indexed in PubMed. African researchers served as first or last author in 55% and 34% of these publications, respectively; Mozambicans were first and last authors in 44% and 23% of the articles, respectively. Two research laboratories were rehabilitated. Investments in information and communication technology also fostered training and mentorship. Conclusions: MIHER has emerged as a leading RSC of Excellence, fostering synergies and promoting a quality research culture in Mozambique, fueled in part, by its ability to identify and incorporate key collaborations. MIHER is a successful example of an RSC that can make the difference in resource‑limited settings to enable research resource mobilization, evidence-based health care delivery and policy design.

Barriers to Implementing a Quality Improvement Program in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Adequacy of Resources.

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) report disproportionally worse cancer mortality. Current global cancer control efforts focus predominantly on expanding access to multimodality treatment for patients, whereas less attention has been spent on implementing strategies to ensure sustained quality assessment and improvement across the cancer care continuum. The goal of this focused review was to examine specific resource barriers to the development and implementation of quality improvement programs in LMICs. In this article, we use a nonsystematic review process to discuss the existing literature on four resource barriers within the context of cancer care delivery in LMICs, focusing on staff, time allocated for quality improvement work, research infrastructure, and funding. We provide possible solutions to address these barriers and share examples of specific quality improvement initiatives implemented across different world regions. Possible solutions to address these resource barriers include investment in human resources by increasing recruitment and training of the workforce, engagement of medical trainees and patients in quality improvement work, establishment of cancer registries and electronic medical records, and prioritization by large international funding agencies to invest in quality improvement research in LMICs. This review highlights four prevalent resources barriers to quality improvement in LMICs. Using examples from Botswana, Colombia, India, and Rwanda, we demonstrate solutions that may help overcome these barriers.

Improving Maternal Nutrition Through Food Security in Pakistan

Malnutrition casts a significant shadow over Pakistan's future, prosperity, and the well-being of its people. Compared to other developing nations, Pakistan stands out with one of the highest rates of malnutrition, affecting both children and women. Malnutrition in Pakistan is primarily due to food insecurity, compounded by low dietary intake among women, particularly pregnant and lactating women. This low dietary intake is linked to food insecurity, poor livelihood, and cultural barriers. Global guidelines emphasize the importance of meeting women's nutritional requirements through promoting a balanced and nourishing diet. The government of Pakistan, in collaboration with national and international organizations and funding agencies, has initiated various measures to alleviate prevalent nutritional concerns. Collaborative actions have been implemented to run various programs and interventions aimed at improving nutrition among children and women. Many effective approaches have been included in the Nutrition Strategy 2022-27. The Enough Food Model is one such tested approach designed to enhance food security and improve nutrition and livelihood by making families resilient. This model is being applied by national organizations in low-indexed areas with financial support from international organizations on a pilot basis and has achieved remarkable results. Like many other tested multi-sectoral nutrition approaches, the self-sufficiency or Enough Food Model is poised to be an effective approach for broader replication.

Revitalizing the Forensic Accounting: An Exploratory Study on Mitigating the Financial Risk using Data Analytics

Risk mitigation and fraud prevention in the present times has more focus on digital metadata, wherein forensic accountants are required to make use of robust IT techniques and tools. Data Analytics has got huge implications for forensic accounting. With the ever-increasing electronic element of frauds in the present age of digitalization, and complexity of financial transactions and instruments, the challenges are growing multifold for the forensic accounting profession. The use of data analytics techniques, which enables the processing of large data in almost no time, simplify the task of forensic accountant to a large extent. It enables the identification of patterns and anomalies with the use of machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, data mining and similar other statistical techniques. Beneish M-score and the Altman Z-score models are proven effective forensic accounting tools in fraud detection and insolvency prediction. This study has been undertaken to test the effectiveness and efficiency of these forensic tools in fraud detection and insolvency prediction with the case study of Bhushan Steel Ltd. Based upon the findings of the study, it is suggested that these models should be integrated with the data analytics, as these are highly effective and efficient in detection of financial statements frauds and this integration would equip the naïve investor in selection of financially sound company(s) to invest in. Data analytics is thus indispensable in the field of forensic accounting in the present era. Since, there is increased funding by many international funding agencies including the World Bank for empowering the forensic accountants and increasing awareness towards this profession, especially in developing countries; it can be hoped that the integration of data analytics with forensic accounting would gain momentum soon.

Inclusion of Sex and Gender to Improve the State of the Science in Women's Health.

The influence of sex and gender-related factors on health and disease at all levels of scale, across all health conditions, and throughout the entire life course is increasingly clear. A series of policies instituted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that require researchers to include appropriate populations and to analyze the data accordingly have strengthened the evidence base around the health of women. Translating these advances to the entire research ecosystem can catalyze rigorous biomedical discovery that can improve health. We encourage journals, publishers, and funders to align their policies and expectations regarding sex and gender considerations in research with those of the NIH and other international funding agencies.

XR support in the frame: the creative extended reality ecosystem in Australia

ABSTRACT Extended Reality (XR) is an emerging creative industry in Australia, and practitioners have had broad success in the international film festival circuit. This paper presents the results of a sector analysis conducted in late 2020 by the authors for their non-profit organization Frame Documentary. The analysis was designed to learn about the barriers to developing and producing non-fiction creative work in Australia using new technologies. We found that despite the international visibility of Australian XR practitioners, the domestic XR sector does not yet have access to strong and tailored support structures. While international XR artists have access to numerous funds, labs and mentorship programmes, Australian creative XR is developed and funded via the mainstream Australian screen industry – broadcasters, state and federal screen funding agencies, or is developed completely outside of dedicated screen support structures. Through a wide range of interviews with creative XR practitioners, as well as industry supporters and observers (including early career artists, award-winning practitioners, international sister organizations, festivals, funding agencies and commissioners), we identified six core areas of concern to the industry. We suggest that initiatives targeted at these areas can help to build a stronger, more sustainable and more diverse creative XR sector in Australia.

Cancer research funding in South Asia

Cancer research funding in South Asia

Adaptation of the technology readiness levels for impact assessment in implementation sciences: The TRL-IS checklist

Adaptation of the technology readiness levels for impact assessment in implementation sciences: The TRL-IS checklist

Eliminating invisible deaths: the woeful state of global rabies data and its impact on progress towards 2030 sustainable development goals for neglected tropical diseases.

Like other neglected diseases, surveillance data for rabies is insufficient and incompatible with the need to accurately describe the burden of disease. Multiple modeling studies central to estimating global human rabies deaths have been conducted in the last two decades, with results ranging from 14,000 to 74,000 deaths annually. Yet, uncertainty in model parameters, inconsistency in modeling approaches, and discrepancies in data quality per country included in global burden studies have led to recent skepticism about the magnitude of rabies mortality. Lack of data not only limits the efficiency and monitoring of rabies elimination strategies but also severely diminishes abilities to advocate for support from international funding agencies. Meanwhile, the most vulnerable communities continue to suffer from deaths that could have been prevented through more robust reporting. The Zero by 30 global strategy to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies by 2030 recommends endemic countries adopt the intersectoral approach, Integrated Bite Case Management (IBCM), as a cost-effective method to enhance surveillance. However, effective implementation of IBCM is impeded by challenges such as limited capacity, resources, knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward compliance. To address this, the World Health Organization and United Against Rabies Forum have developed several open-access tools to guide national control programs in strong data collection practices, and online data repositories to pragmatically streamline reporting and encourage data sharing. Here, we discuss how current and future initiatives can be best employed to improve the implementation of existing surveillance tools and prioritization of effective data reporting/sharing to optimize progress toward 2030 elimination.

Gamut of Urological Diseases in a Tertiary Hospital in North Central Nigeria.

Worldwide, urological disorders vary from one topography to another. An in-depth understanding of their distribution in each region could serve as a basis for the distribution of manpower, equipment's alongside determine policy formulation and training. This study enumerates the annual frequency and distribution of urological disorders at the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi. A cross-sectional retrospective study from November 2021 to November 2022 of all new patients who attended the urology outpatient clinic, emergency department as well as those who had surgical interventions at the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa State. The pertinent records were extracted from the patient's electronic medical records (EMR) and entered into a semistructured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 20. A total of 452 new patients were seen over the study period. There were 428 (94.5%) males and 24 (5.3%) females, with a male-to-female ratio of 17.8:1. The median age was 58 years, with the age range of 2-97 years. Urological emergencies were seen in 13.5% patients. Ninety-eight percent of cases were acquired, whereas 1.8% were of congenital etiology. Overall, the most commonly diagnosed urologic diseases among new patients in order of decreasing frequency were benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) (54.7%), urethral stricture disease (11.0%), upper tract urinary calculi (6.3%), prostate adenocarcinoma (5.9%), and male infertility (4.3%). BPE, urethral stricture disease, upper tract urinary calculi, prostate adenocarcinoma, and male infertility are common in our environment. An understanding of the urological disease distribution will enhance policy-making and drive manpower needs inspiring core areas of subspecialization with a view at improving the standard of urological care and promoting collaboration with international organizations and funding agencies.

Pesticides in soil, groundwater and food in Latin America as part of one health.

We here report of a conference about "Pesticides in Soil, Groundwater and Food in Latin America as part of One Health" that took place at the "IV Seminario Internacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (SISA)" in Varadero, Cuba, 8-12 May 2023. Researchers of Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico) and Switzerland (workshop initiator) held presentations about occurrence and effects of pesticides on the environment, human health, the replacement of highly hazardous pesticides (HHP) by agroecological alternatives and the agri-food value chain. In a subsequent round table discussion, the presenters identified deficits, needs, interests and opportunities. According to them, the lack of awareness of pesticide use affects the health and safety of workers applying the chemicals. Despite Latin America representing the main agricultural area in the world with a very intense pesticide use, monitoring data of pesticides in soil, surface and groundwaters, food, as well as in humans are missing. Risks of pesticides to humans should be assessed so that authorities can withdraw or limit within "short time" the access to corresponding formulations on the market. Also, communication is not state of the art and should be improved as, e.g. the teaching of workers and farmers, how to correctly use and apply pesticides or the briefing of decision makers. Pollinators suffer from multiple stressors not the least due to pesticides, and alternatives are badly needed. On the technical side, the different analytical methods to determine residues of active ingredients and transformation products in matrices of concern should be harmonized among laboratories.Seven future actions and goals were identified to overcome the above deficits. Next steps after the publishing of this conference report are to harmonize and complete the information status of the presenters by exchanging the results/data already present. Therefore, a platform of interaction to address issues described above and to enhance collaboration shall be created. Samples of different matrices shall be exchanged to harmonize the chemical analysis and establish interlaboratory comparisons. Such activities might be facilitated by joining international associations or organizations, where researchers can offer their expertise, or by forming a new pesticide network for Central and South America that could present tailored projects to national and international organizations and funding agencies.

Decolonial perspectives on intercultural research in a study of educational inclusion in rural Cambodia

This paper presents a critique of intercultural research in the context of a study of Educational Inclusion in Rural Schools in Cambodia undertaken by four U.K. researchers in partnership with four Cambodian researchers. Interculturality is an endeavour to recognise and engage with different ways of being and knowing across cultural boundaries and to address barriers to reciprocal understanding. This endeavour is a complex one and there is little research on the reality of intercultural research, especially in a Cambodian context. We therefore explored this reality within our own research team to address a gap in the literature. Our research question is: What are participants’ perceptions of interculturality based on their experiences of a 5-year research study in educational inclusion? Using a decolonial framework and decolonial methodologies, this paper presents the findings of a qualitative study that draws on questionnaire, research diary and interview data. We critically examine affordances and challenges relating to knowledge exchange, cultural differences, language/translation effects and research orthodoxies. We found that whilst our decolonial approach proved mutually beneficial, fostering co-construction and enhancing power-sharing, the quest for epistemic justice is inevitably constrained by powerful, Western research orthodoxies and funding conditionalities necessitating ongoing, joint reflexivity. The significance of the paper lies in the examination of the lived experiences of these affordances and challenges using a decolonial framework. The paper will be of relevance to international development researchers, international research funding agencies, international NGOs and others working in low and lower middle-income countries (LMICs) in the Global South.

Rethinking urban risk and resettlement in the Global South, edited by Cassidy Johnson, Garima Jain, and Allan Lavell

Facing disproportionately many mankind-induced risks and natural hazards, low-income populations in the Global South are also exposed to another threat, namely resettlement and relocation processes, although they are meant to reduce the risk of disaster. On many occasions, national and local governments as well as international funding agencies regard these as good measures. The problem is: “While this may reduce people’s exposure to hazard, it can lead to numerous other problems, which can leave people more vulnerable or worse off than they were before [given the fact that it is a difficult task to] “reconstitute their livelihoods and their infrastructural, economic, social, cultural and psychological foundations”.

Air quality management status and needs of countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia

Countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia are experiencing severe air pollution problems. Most countries lack technical capabilities and adequate air quality management (AQM) infrastructure. A capacity building workshop on AQM was organised from 19-23 September 2022 for countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia. A total of 17 countries (eight in South Asia and nine in Southeast Asia) participated in the workshop. Each country was invited to present on available AQM infrastructure, including challenges and needs. This article synthesises information on available AQM facilities, challenges and needs of the countries. The information reveals that, except for a few low-population countries and Thailand, most countries lack enough ambient air quality monitoring stations (AAQMS) based on the population-weighted criteria. It is also found that only a few countries have started compiling emissions inventories (EI) and performing air quality modelling, including air pollution impact assessments. It is noted that all countries have enacted air pollution mitigation regulations, including the development of clean policies and action plans. However, policies and action plans lack scientific evidence based on local data. The findings of this article, including challenges and gaps, provide immense opportunities for countries to invest in strengthening various components of AQM, including mobilising financial resources from international funding agencies.

Defining operational research priorities to improve malaria control and elimination in sub-Saharan Africa: results from a country-driven research prioritization setting process

BackgroundIn order to reignite gains and accelerate progress toward improved malaria control and elimination, policy, strategy, and operational decisions should be derived from high-quality evidence. The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Insights project together with the Université Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Senegal, conducted a broad stakeholder consultation process to identify pressing evidence gaps in malaria control and elimination across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and developed a priority list of country-driven malaria operational research (OR) and programme evaluation (PE) topics to address these gaps.MethodsFive key stakeholder groups were engaged in the process: national malaria programmes (NMPs), research institutions in SSA, World Health Organization (WHO) representatives in SSA, international funding agencies, and global technical partners who support malaria programme implementation and research. Stakeholders were engaged through individual or small group interviews and an online survey, and asked about key operational challenges faced by NMPs, pressing evidence gaps in current strategy and implementation guidance, and priority OR and PE questions to address the challenges and gaps.ResultsAltogether, 47 interviews were conducted with 82 individuals, and through the online survey, input was provided by 46 global technical partners. A total of 33 emergent OR and PE topics were identified through the consultation process and were subsequently evaluated and prioritized by an external evaluation committee of experts from NMPs, research institutions, and the WHO. The resulting prioritized OR and PE topics predominantly focused on generating evidence needed to close gaps in intervention coverage, address persistent challenges faced by NMPs in the implementation of core strategic interventions, and inform the effective deployment of new tools.ConclusionThe prioritized research list is intended to serve as a key resource for informing OR and PE investments, thereby ensuring future investments focus on generating the evidence needed to strengthen national strategies and programme implementation and facilitating a more coordinated and impactful approach to malaria operational research.

Trends Of Adult Height in India Using National Family Health Survey Data: A Systematic Review

The national family health survey (NFHS) is a multi-round, large scale, survey conducted throughout India in a customary sample of households. It was first conducted in 1992-93, till then five surveys have been conducted. The survey was done using four types of questionnaires namely Men’s, Women’s, Biomarker, and household. The survey was funded by many international Funding agencies likeUnited States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) etc. In India department of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) has delegated the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai as a nodal agency for mutual support in the survey. Each survey of NFHS has two definite goalsi.ei) to anticipate data on family welfare and health for program and policy purposes and ii) to contribute an information on important family welfare and emerging health issues. Systematic review was conducted as per PRISMA guidelines, we carried out an extensive electronic search of PubMed, Google and Google Scholar to identify published studies on trends in adult height using NFHS India data. Out of a total 43 potential studies 38 were excluded and 5 relevant studies were used for final review. There is a decrease in average adult height in India. Despite of genetic, non-genetic factors like social, nutritional, and environmental plays a very important role in adult height.

Patient Advocates and Researchers as Partners in Cancer Research: A Winning Combination.

Inclusion of advocates as partners in research is now required by numerous international funding agencies. The role of advocates has expanded in recent years to include all areas of research, including basic cancer research, translational research, and clinical trial design and development. The involvement of advocates as partners in cancer research can be challenging for the advocate and for the researchers, but this collaboration is beneficial to all involved. Herein, we will define patient advocacy, explore advocate engagement, and share information on programs that train advocates and researchers to work together as partners.