Millennium Development Research Articles

Dimensions of Well-being and the Millennium Development Goals

The concept of well-being has deep roots in philosophy [Cantril (1965)]. Much later in the 19th century modern definitions of well-being emerged. The utilitarian movement defined well-being subjectively and proclaimed individuals’ well-being as an important goal of individuals’ behaviour and public policy. During the 20th century social scientists started to examine well-being empirically, but a unified concept of wellbeing was lacking. At the beginning of the 20th century, economists developed elaborate quantitative theories of well-being, but rejected the possibility that individuals’ could provide valid reports of their own well-being. In the second half of the 20th century social scientists started to develop subjective measures of well-being, and started to examine how these measures relate to demographic variables or other characteristics of individuals [Andrews and Withey (1976)]. The relationship between GDP and well-being likely depends on how rich a country is. As income increases it contributes little to overall well-being at low levels of GDP in poor country, since only a narrow segment of the population is benefiting directly. Moreover, as noted by Sen (2001) non-monetary benefits such as health and education that improve individual capabilities are often more important than income in poor countries. As the benefits of continued growth trickle down to a burgeoning middle class, social well-being rises dramatically [Torras (2008)]. It is in this context that a number of alternatives to GDP have been introduced. For example, the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) human development index (HDI) uses GDP per capita to measure “access to economic resources” in well-being assessments but accords it only one-third weight in determination of the level of human development. Although national income accounting measures may sometimes not agree with popular perceptions of trends in economic well-being, GDP per capita is one of the three main components of the HDI, whose objective is to indicate the capability of people “to lead a long and healthy life, to acquire knowledge and to have access to resources needed for a decent standard of living” [Osberg and Andrew (2005)].

Effectiveness of Obstetric Emergency Workshop in Medical Students in Newcastle University Malaysia

Global practices in health sectors envisioned maternal mortality as an indicator of the health standard of the nation. World Health Organization rests its goal on ‘Eight Millennium Development’ over the globe by means of MDG 5 is to improve the maternal health. The aim of the study is to upgrade teaching and learning method to optimise acquisition of knowledge in undergraduate students to meet the effectiveness of obstetric emergencies. We evaluated changes in knowledge using a single best answers questionnaire. The study 115 stage-5 students from 2019-2020 academic years were selected, and they were divided into 5 small groups with monthly rotation to attend the workshop. There are 23-24 students in each rotation. The assessment of knowledge of obstetrics emergencies carried out by using the SBA test before and after the workshop conducted by means of teaching and learning method.

Framing the Fragmentation of Peace

This article aims to discuss the concept of fragmentation of peace in order to understand how the concept proposed by Galtung (1969) is being operationalized, implemented and disseminated as an international agenda. Taking the Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals implemented by the United Nations as parameter, this article embeds in a framing perspective, arguing that positive peace is more than a concept, rather a pragmatic common and global strategy.

Analysis of public engagement with ten major global health topics on a social network profile and a newspaper website.

BackgroundEfforts in global health and development have broad political support and substantial financial commitment from most governments. However, this support could be greater if global health issues featured more prominently in the public debate. It has proven quite difficult to make global health issues attractive for viewing and engaging with, as compared to other forms of entertainment or public debates in the media.MethodsWithin the Massive Open Online Course “Survival: The Story of Global Health”, we created 10 educational videos on major global health topics. Between August 1 and September 30, 2017, we posted each episode with a brief background text on the Facebook profile of the narrator, who had an average of 450 friends and further 800 followers throughout the period of study. We studied the interaction of Facebook friends and followers with each posted video, tracing the number of their “likes”, “shares” and “comments”. Moreover, a popular Croatian online newspaper portal with about 250 000 daily viewers shared three of these stories after they were posted on Facebook and views, shares and comments were monitored. We recorded the effect on the number of YouTube views of the featured videos.ResultsThe 10 posts received between 65 and 274 “likes” on the Facebook profile and between 2 and 124 shares, receiving between 0 and 17 comments. The three episodes that were shared by the online newspaper portal were further shared between 164 and 2820 times, receiving between 8 and 111 comments from the general public. The effect of these two promotion channels on YouTube viewership resulted in between 107 and 9784 views of the 10 featured videos, with the number of “likes” received on YouTube ranging between 0 and 43. The video that raised the most attention and shares was the one on the history of pandemics, which also had the highest number of shares on YouTube (n=69), followed by the video on human evolution (n = 14). Topics of non-communicable diseases, ageing and dying, and the future of humanity were also popular, while the topics more specific to global health raised less interest - ie, maternal and child mortality, major infectious diseases, international organizations, inequality and equity, and the UN Millennium Development Goals.ConclusionOur study showed that the interest in “core” global health topics was, as a rule, lower than in the topics which have a more general appeal - such as pandemic threat, human origins, ageing and dying. If we aim to increase public interest in global health topics, a feasible strategy would be to adjust the language and presentation used to be of more appeal to popular culture. Linking promotional materials to other popular topics that are dominating the public debate or capturing their interest could prove to be a successful strategy to achieve this.

Trends in infant mortality in Venezuela between 1985 and 2016: a systematic analysis of demographic data.

Between the 1950s and 2000, Venezuela showed one of the most substantial improvements in infant mortality rates in Latin America. However, the recent economic crisis alongside an increase in infectious and parasitic diseases might be reversing previous patterns. Because no official updated mortality statistics have been published since 2013, the effect of these recent events has been difficult to assess accurately. We therefore aimed to estimate infant mortality rate trends and report the effect of the crisis. We estimated infant mortality rates using direct methods (ie, death counts from Venezuelan Ministry of Health via yearbooks and notifiable diseases bulletins, and birth records published by the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Venezuelan National Institute of Statistics) and indirect methods (using census data and a Living Conditions Survey ENCOVI 2016). We shaped yearly estimations using a semiparametric regression model, specifically a P-Spline model with a cubic thin plate base. The primary objective was to estimate infant mortality rate trends from 1985 to 2016. Around 2009, the long-term decline in infant mortality rate stopped, and a new pattern of increase was observed. The infant mortality rate reached 21·1 deaths per 1000 livebirths (90% CI -17·8 to 24·3) in 2016, almost 1·4 times the rate of 2008 (15·0, -14·0 to 16·1). This increase represents a huge setback on previous achievements in reducing infant mortality. Our conservative estimation indicates that Venezuela is in the throes of a humanitarian crisis. The increase in infant mortality rate in 2016 compared with 2008 takes the country back to the level observed at the end of the 1990s, wiping out 18 years of expected progress, and leaves the Venezuelan Government far from achieving the target of nine deaths per 1000 livebirths stated in the UN Millennium Development Goals. None.

Sikap Wanita Pekerja Pengrajin Batik terhadap Profesinya ditinjau Dari Keadaan Sosial Ekonomi di Sumberjambe Jember

<em>The development program will be successful by improving the position of women in the community according to one millennium development with one of the indicators of achievement by 2015 promoting gender equality and women's empowerment and ensuring the sustainability of environmental functions. The extent to which such rights and obligations can be exercised by women is not only dependent on others but also on the nature of the dependence and independence of the woman herself. This study aims to analyze and know how the influence of socio-economic conditions on the attitudes of women workers to their profession as measured from the level of education, family income and burden of family dependents. The population in this study is all women batik craftsmen in Sumberjambe Village Jember. This research is explanatory research that is research to test the relation or influence between hypothesized variables. In this study there is clearly a hypothesis that will be tested the truth. Analyzer used is multiple linear regression analysis. The result of the analysis shows that the socio-economic condition influences the attitude of the batik craftsmen worker in Sumberjambe Village.</em>

Leaving No-one Behind? The Politics of Destination in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals

We are in the age of the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). Two years ago this journal published a special forum on the transition away from the previous UN millennium development...

A Ten Year Audit of Maternal Mortality: Millennium Development Still a Distant Goal.

Objective:To assess various causes of maternal mortality over a ten year periodDesign:Retrospective audit of hospital case recordsSetting:Tertiary care hospitalPopulation:Pregnant women who expired in the premises of GTB Hospital.Materials and Methods:A retrospective audit of case records of maternal deaths was conducted for a ten year period (January 2005 to December 2014).Results:There were a total of 647 maternal deaths out of 1,16,641 live births. Sixty-eight percent (n = 445) of women were aged 21-30 years, while 10.5% (n = 68) were <20 years of age. The most common direct causes of maternal mortality were preeclampsia/eclampsia in 24.4% (n = 158), obstetric hemorrhage in 19.1% (n = 124) and puerperal sepsis in 14.5% (n = 94). With regards to indirect causes, anemia accounted for 15.3% (n = 99) mortality. There was only 1 (0.1%) mortality because of HIV/AIDS. Other notable causes of maternal mortality were infective hepatitis in 7.1% (n = 46). Tuberculosis, that is a disease of tropical countries, accounted for 3.0% (n = 20) of the total deaths.Conclusion:High maternal mortality in GTB hospital can be due to it being a tertiary hospital with referrals from all neighbouring states. Accessible antenatal care can help prevent these maternal deaths. Female education can be of immense help in dealing with the problem and improving the utilization of public health facilities.Key Message:Preeclampsia/eclampsia and obstetric hemorrhage have been the main causes of maternal mortality for ages. Regular antenatal visits and the judicious training of grassroot level workers to pick-up complications early on in the pregnancy can be an effective way to deal the morbidity and mortality associated with these problems. The Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) in India are pioneer steps in this direction.

Desenvolvimento humano sustentável e erradicação da pobreza: Portugal e a meta do milênio

This article has for scope to analyze the relationship between sustainable development and poverty. Thus, its bases on the assessment of compliance of the first Millennium Development and Sustainable Development Goals (in the design of the United Nations), namely: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and to end poverty in all its forms and everywhere. We present, at first, a theoretical and purposeful formulation on the subject. In a second segment, focuses in your coping by the Portuguese State with fulcrum in the implementation of the guarantees of social sustainability and poverty reduction. Therefore, it asserts to emergency of to call attention to sustainable human development in the achievement of public policies and in the effectiveness of fundamental rights, in the framework of a Environmental and Democratic State of Law.

Millennium & Financial Development Goals: Economic Indicators Perspective of South Asian Countries

Millennium & Financial Development Goals: Economic Indicators Perspective of South Asian Countries

The Local Community Planning (Case Study: Narmak Neighborhood of Tehran)

Approach to urban development of the new millennium an important shift in paradigm has the experience. Models centralized deficiencies of urban planning caused in change from command to the attitude of the partnership. This new pattern of urban sustainable development principles is that fundamental emphasis on the role of local communities. Indeed the face and problems solve That modern cities are involved As population growth, traffic problems, pollution and the environment, immigration, poverty, marginalization, health problems and dozens more with Change methods of planning from macro and subjective to micro and objective (local scale) is the be achievable. The aim of this study is that rather than macro Attitude in national scale to the micro planning to be one of the neighborhoods in Tehran. Methodology in this research is a descriptive – analytical and for mapping is used of GIS software. Data collection have been conducted base on field and library studies. The results of this research through a neighborhood of Tehran Narmak case study and outlining the desirable position of neighborhood land use indicates that With the transition from state circuit urban planning with the general attitude Toward community-based planning can be hoped that move towards City sustainability.

Quality assessment of peripartum care.

Background:Maternal health improvement is one of the eight goals of the third millennium development, set in 2000. Pregnancy complications are the most important causes of maternal mortality worldwide. Proper and qualified health care access is one the most important factors for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality rates.Objectives:This study aimed to determine quality of peripartum care in Lorestan province in 2013.Materials and Methods:This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, in which quality of peripartum care was assessed among 200 women (sample size was determined according to other studies), referred to Lorestan province public hospitals. Quality assessment according to the WHO was used for the framework of structure, process and outcome. Data was collected by a researcher-made checklist, developed based on the administered instructions by Iran Health Ministry. The checklists were filled by observation. The calculated quality scores were expressed as percentage. SPSS version 18 was used for data analysis.Results:The mean percentages of compatibility with desirable situation were 54%, 57% and 66% in first, second and third stage of labor, respectively. The lowest scores were related to: Leopold maneuvers in the first stage, hand washing in the second stage and pulse control in the third stage of labor.Conclusions:Quality of peripartum care is moderate in Lorestan province, therefore, continuous evaluation of quality of care by administrators and hospital staff is essential to improve this quality and will ultimately result in maternal and neonatal health improvement.

Last millennium development and dynamics of vegetated linear dunes inferred from ground‐penetrating radar and optically stimulated luminescence ages

AbstractUsing ground‐penetrating radar, optically stimulated luminescence dating, particle‐size distribution and morphological analysis, the study of the construction phases of a vegetated linear dune in the arid north‐western Negev dunefield of Israel during the last millennium improves current knowledge about vegetated linear dunes that developed in the late Pleistocene. Vertical accretion in rapid pulses forming horizontally bedded units along the axis of vegetated linear dunes, regardless of their age, was found to be characteristic of vegetated linear dunes. The combination of the unique topographic feature of a longitudinal 5 m step‐like fall in dune crest elevation with the substantial narrowing of dune width constitutes a distinct morphological marker for interpreting local dune growth and stabilization of the last, albeit localized, dune mobilization episode at ca 0·5 ka. Evidence for lateral dune migration was not observed. Where local sediment supply exists, short episodes of powerful winds within the Holocene (with recurrence intervals separated by hundreds of years) can lead to the construction of vegetated linear dunes. The spatially constrained extent of such young dunes in the north‐western Negev may be due to limited sand availability because most of the Negev dunes were stable during the Holocene. These findings imply that vegetated linear dune construction can occur in glacial and interglacial (including Holocene) environments in semi‐arid to arid climates if certain conditions are met. In times of increased wind power during the Anthropocene, a period characterized by simultaneous rises in the human impact on the landscape and in climate variability (i.e. drought), local growth of vegetated linear dunes can be expected. This study demonstrates that ground‐penetrating radar is a reliable tool for interpreting the shallow internal structure of young vegetated linear dunes.

Maternal Mortality in Henan Province, China: Changes between 1996 and 2009

BackgroundMaternal deaths occur mostly in developing countries and the majority of them are preventable. This study analyzes changes in maternal mortality and related causes in Henan Province, China, between 1996 and 2009, in an attempt to provide a reliable basis for introducing effective interventions to reduce the maternal mortality ratio (MMR), part of the fifth Millennium Development Goal.Methods and FindingsThis population-based maternal mortality survey in Henan Province was carried out from 1996 to 2009. Basic information was obtained from the health care network for women and children and the vital statistics system, from specially trained monitoring personnel in 25 selected monitoring sites and by household survey in each case of maternal death. This data was subsequently reported to the Henan Provincial Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital. The total MMR in Henan Province declined by 78.4%, from 80.1 per 100 000 live births in 1996 to 17.3 per 100 000 live births in 2009. The decline was more pronounced in rural than in urban areas. The most common causes of maternal death during this period were obstetric hemorrhage (43.8%), pregnancy-induced hypertension (15.8%), amniotic fluid embolism (13.9%) and heart disease (8.0%). The MMR was higher in rural areas with lower income, less education and poorer health care.ConclusionThere was a remarkable decrease in the MMR in Henan Province between 1996 and 2009 mainly in the rural areas and MMR due to direct obstetric causes such as obstetric hemorrhage. This study indicates that improving the health care network for women, training of obstetric staff at basic-level units, promoting maternal education, and increasing household income are important interventional strategies to reduce the MMR further.

Building on Success--Potential to Improve Coverage of Multiple Health Interventions Through Integrated Delivery With Routine Childhood Vaccination

Integrating delivery of nonvaccine interventions with childhood vaccinations has been suggested as a mechanism to accelerate progress toward Millennium Development Goals. Demographic health surveys from 28 sub-Saharan African countries were analyzed to determine potential coverage with 5 nonvaccine interventions that could be delivered to children, mothers, and families during routine infant vaccinations. Potential coverage levels were calculated among households with children aged 12-23 months, based on existing coverage of interventions and vaccinations. Most (>60%) children in families that had not received nonvaccine interventions had been vaccinated. If nonvaccine interventions could be delivered with vaccinations, the median percentage of households owning a bed net could increase from 46% to 92% and those with improved or treated sources of water from 55% to 91%. The median percentage of children who had received vitamin A supplementation could increase from 66% to 90%. Mothers who have been tested for human immunodeficiency virus could increase from 16% to 86%. In Africa, vaccination programs could provide a platform to substantially increase coverage of nonvaccine interventions. Studies are needed to investigate programmatic approaches to optimize the selection, adoption, and long-term utilization of these interventions and to assess the impact on vaccination and other intervention coverage.

Abstract C99: Beyond bortezomib: Development of Millennium's next-generation proteasome inhibitors.

Abstract Bortezomib (Velcade®) is a proteasome inhibitor that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma or relapsed mantle cell lymphoma. It is currently available in more than 90 countries worldwide. The molecule is an N-capped dipeptidyl boronic acid and its molecular mechanism involves slow-tight binding to the chymotrypsin-like (β5) sites of the 26S proteasome. In the development of Millennium's next generation inhibitors, we have investigated several parameters affecting the drug's activity in biological systems. These include tissue proteasome concentration, blood/plasma partitioning and the kinetics of proteasome inhibition in cultured cells. We find that the abundance of the proteasome (approx. 1–5 μM β5 active site concentration) in cells and tissues together with the slow rate of dissociation of bortezomib from the proteasome (110 min. half-life) led to partitioning of the inhibitor in red blood cells, thereby limiting its distribution to potential sites of therapeutic action. Based on the hypothesis that more rapid dissociation from the proteasome should improve tissue distribution, we have developed an investigational, dipeptidyl boronic acid proteasome inhibitor (MLN9708). MLN9708 displays comparable potency (i.e. similar Ki) to bortezomib for the β5 site of the proteasome but a shorter (18 min.) half-life of dissociation. This affects rapid recovery of proteasome activity in tissue culture cells upon washout of the drug as well as reduced blood/plasma partitioning in mice, supporting the hypothesis that a more rapid equilibrium proteasome inhibitor can improve tissue distribution. MLN9708 is currently in phase 1 clinical trials. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C99.

Should we view sanitation as just another business? The crucial role of sanitation entrepreneurship and the need for outside engagement

Poor sanitation has recently been identified by the World Health Organization as the root cause of the majority of child deaths worldwide. Sadly though, progress on sanitation delivery currently lags well behind other Millennium Development Goals.In developed countries, sanitation is typically the role of the water utility. In developing countries however, the sanitation market is dominated by small private providers, usually very local in nature and often benefiting from little outside support.As such, private sanitation providers, from retailers to masons, from public toilet operators to latrine-emptying businesses, are of vital importance to medium- and lower-income communities. Unlike in the water sector, where there is much debate over private versus public provision, the key issue is how to combine a largely private system with an appropriate regulatory and supportive role from the public sector.This article discusses the situation from the perspective of sanitation professionals, suggesting concret...

Persistence and Loss of Cultural Values of Tiriki Sacred Groves in Hamisi District, Kenya: Implications For Management (RH: Cultural Values of Tiriki Sacred Groves)

KEYWORDS Biodiversity. Cultural Value. Ecotourism. Herbal Medicine. Sacred GrovesABSTRACT Negligence and desecration observed among Tiriki sacred groves during causal visits by the authors inJanuary 2007 was associated with their loss of cultural values and protection among local people. Household interviewswere held with 65 randomly selected key informants (51 males, 14 females) from all (6) locations of Hamisi district,Kenya, between March and August 2007. The study objective was to determine the persistence and loss of traditionalcultural values of the groves among local people plus respective causes for loss of the individual cultural values. Of the10 traditional values named, the most dominant was as sources of herbal medicine (100%) and as sites for boys’circumcision (100%). The least dominant were as sources of food (13.85%) and materials for house construction(21.54%). Persistence was highest with their value as sources of herbal medicine (100%) and lowest as burial sites forcommunity heroes (0.00%) and as sites for special prayers (4.17%). Break-down in the socio-cultural fabric of theTiriki community due to the influence of modern religion, education and government regulations were responsible forloss of cultural values and indigenous knowledge associated with sacred groves among local people. Sustainablepreservation of the sacred groves requires strategic government intervention with an appropriate institutionalframework that empowers local people to effectively manage and benefit from them. Emphasis is on enterprisesthat combine biodiversity conservation with poverty eradication as outlined by the Millennium Development Goals.Establishment of local, regional and global partnerships towards this end is encouraged.

EHPnet: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) is the largest assessment to date of the health of the world’s ecosystems. Launched in 2001 by United Nations (UN) secretary-general Kofi Annan and authorized by governments through four international conventions, the MA is intended as a tool to inform decision makers and the public. The documents flowing forth from this work, which was completed in March 2005, have been prepared by 1,360 experts from 95 countries, with an 80-person independent board of review editors. The documents draw on information gathered from the scientific literature, existing data sets, and scientific models, and incorporate knowledge gleaned from the private sector, workers in the field, indigenous peoples, and local communities. Information about the MA, as well as the documents it has released, are available online at http://www.millenniumassessment.org/. The findings of the MA are grim. Over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems faster and more extensively than during any other comparable time period in human history. These rapid changes have grown out of increasing demands for natural goods and services, such as food, fresh water, timber, fiber, and fuel. The MA also finds that ecosystem changes have brought about substantial gains in human well-being and in economic development, but that these gains have come at the cost of degrading ecosystem services and increasing poverty for some groups of people. The report predicts that ecosystem change could accelerate during the next 50 years and contribute to nonachievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals. Yet, there is some hope that this situation can still be reversed, and the report sets forth options for improving ecosystems by 2050. These fall under three scenarios: “Global Orchestration,” “Adapting Mosaic,” and “TechnoGarden.” The Global Orchestration scenario reflects a globally connected society focused on international trade and economic liberalization that also takes strong steps to reduce problems such as poverty and inequality and to invest in public infrastructure and education. The Adapting Mosaic scenario focuses on local-scale activities, and investments in human and social capital emphasize education to bring about a better understanding of the nature of ecosystems. At the core of the TechnoGarden scenario is the use of technology and highly managed, often engineered ecosystems to deliver ecosystem services. A fourth scenario, “Order from Strength,” emphasizes heightened security and a fragmented society, to the detriment of the environment. The MA homepage provides the latest news related to the project, while links along the right side of the page access the numerous partners in the MA. These partners include the UN Development Programme, the UN Environment Programme, the World Bank, multiple universities, and others. The Reports section of the site provides links to the major documents produced by the MA. Each report can be downloaded for free in English and several other languages; there is also information on how to order printed copies. The Resources section assembles slide presentations, figures, tables, maps, posters, logos, and brochures that can be used by the media. All are available to download for free. The About the MA section of the website provides a thorough history of how the work came about, how it was funded, how it was undertaken, and how it may continue in the future. This section also includes a page devoted to the many subregional assessments that are being carried out in conjunction with the MA. Links to each provide details of the areas covered by the assessments, the institutions carrying out the assessments, the features of the ecosystem being assessed, key features of the assessments, and the time frame and budget for the work.

The INNOPAC library system at the University of Hull

The article reviews the INNOPAC system at Hull, describing various features of the modules used there with general information on system administration and performance. The current and future development of INNOPAC Millennium is also noted.