National Non-governmental Organizations Research Articles

The crisis of maternal and child health in Afghanistan

In the past two decades, despite ongoing war, international development assistance and funding, channelled through Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health, expanded access to primary care, improved government hospitals, and trained thousands of health-care providers in Afghanistan, especially women. Accompanying technical assistance strengthened the capacity of Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health to develop policy, design requirements for and oversee services provided by international and national non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and initiate surveillance, monitoring, and evaluation systems.

Experiences and Perceived Barriers of Asylum Seekers and People with Refugee Backgrounds in Accessing Healthcare Services in Romania.

Traditionally a country of emigration, Romania recently experienced an increased migration influx, although it is more a country of transit than a destination for refugees and irregular migrants. Refugees often face difficulties when trying to meet their needs and access essential services. This study aims to explore the experiences and barriers of asylum seekers and people with refugee backgrounds in accessing healthcare services in Romania. It is an exploratory study with a qualitative research design, which uses an inductive and deductive approach, with thematic analysis being applied in order to grasp the difficulties and barriers that asylum seekers and people with refugee backgrounds experience in accessing essential social services. The research was based on seven in-depth interviews with representatives of significant national or international non-governmental organisations assisting refugees and asylum seekers in Romania and 129 semi-structured interviews with different categories of people with refugee backgrounds from Southwest Asia, Eastern Africa and Ukraine. One of the most salient themes we identified relates to accessing the healthcare system. Participants talked about what information they needed to access medical services, where they looked for this information, and what barriers they faced in the process. Cultural, linguistic, structural, and financial barriers were perceived as the most significant. Improved public awareness, a better understanding of asylum issues, and stronger community support are essential to addressing inequalities experienced by this vulnerable population.

11.B. Round table: From Science to Policy Making: Lessons learned from ASPHER’s COVID-19 Task Force

Abstract ASPHER, the Association of Public Health Schools in the European Region, convened a COVID-19 Task Force (TF) at the start of the pandemic. The TF has involved over 60 experts, 30 member schools, more than 20 countries across four continents, supported by young professionals (YPs). The COVID-19 TF became a unique expert forum for mutual support, sharing, reviewing, and presenting evidence on epidemiological, technical, societal, and political dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic across Europe. Working with European and national health authorities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), it also prompted and supported the coordination of policy responses across the WHO European Region. Drawing on members’ collective knowledge and expertise, the TF produced a significant body of work that speaks to different public health aspects of the pandemic and gaps in responses. Since its inception in early 2020, the TF has produced more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, regular position statements and reports on topics from personal to planetary protection including: face masks, testing, tracking, vaccination, health inequalities, protecting vulnerable groups, safe schools, advocacy for wider social protection and global vaccine equity. The panel will reflect on key lessons learned over two years of TF work. First, that effective cross-country comparative work was made possible by the group's independence, interdisciplinarity, and high trust between its members. This mix of characteristics allowed for unencumbered weekly sharing of ideas, utilisation of data, insights available in local languages, and unique access to the front-line experience of members, those with positions in health authorities or advising national or regional governments. The second lesson is the importance of a flexible, bottom-up organisation, which allows the members to pursue individual research, education, and advocacy agendas while acting in concert. Cooperation between ASPHER Schools of Public Health existed before the pandemic, but the TF strengthened these relationships and made inter-school collaborations more frequent. Lesson three is a successful combination of policy advocacy, with shaping public health education and providing training opportunities for YPs. Thirteen YPs have been involved in the work of the COVID-19 TF since its inception, playing a critical role by preparing weekly situation reports, a horizon scanning exercise, surveys of ASPHER members, and contributing an early-career perspective to the groups’ outputs. Involving young public health professionals effectively in expert forums provides crucial training opportunities in knowledge transfer and leadership that should be more widely available. The panel will also reflect on how to set-up, build, scale-up, and sustain collaborations with wide geographic, cultural, linguistic, and political-administrative coverage to support the capacity and preparedness of public health institutions during future challenges. Key messages • The panel will recount key lessons from ASPHER’s COVID-19 Task Force: fostering independence, interdisciplinarity, and trust; a flexible, bottom-up organisation; and involving young professionals. • The panel will reflect on setting up collaborations across cultural and political-administrative boundaries to strengthen the advisory capacity of public health institutions during future challenges. Speakers/Panellists Alison Mc Callum University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK John Reid Chester University, Chester, UK Rok Hrzic Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands

HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND INTERNATIONAL LEGAL RESPONSES: THE CASE OF COMBATING HUMAN AND WOMEN TRAFFICKING

Over the last two decades, the United Nations and various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have increased their efforts to combat human trafficking and women trafficking for sex around the world through international legal frameworks and conventions along with implementing mechanisms. These steps are aimed at limiting the potential victims’ vulnerability to trafficking, providing adequate help and protection for victims, and ensuring the speedy trials of the traffickers (and other important, behind-the-scene players), all while preserving the fundamental human rights of all. Given that the prohibition of slavery and human trafficking is a jus-cogens principle, states are obligated to act with reasonable diligence to prevent human trafficking, investigate and prosecute traffickers, and help and protect the trafficked individuals. Governments often tackle trafficking from the standpoint of law enforcement or criminal control (as opposed to victims’ protection and/or human rights perspective). Typically, they are preoccupied with border security, preventing unwelcome migration, combating organized crime, and lately, terrorism. This article argues that any attempts to combat trafficking are unlikely to be successful if the emphasis is on criminal prevention rather than on victim protection and rights, as demonstrated in the following pages. Key Words: Human Trafficking, Women Trafficking, Human Rights Approach, Sexual Exploitation.

Strategi Penyelesaian Konflik Tenurial Melalui Kemitraan Konservasi Di Taman Nasional Bunaken (Studi Kasus Pulau Mantehage)

This research aims to analyze stakeholders for the implementation of conservation partnerships on Mantehage Island and formulate strategies for implementing conservation partnerships on Mantehage Island. This research was conducted from April to July 2022. The research method used a qualitative and quantitative descriptive approach. Primary data were obtained through direct interviews with managers of the Bunaken National Park area, village governments and community leaders on Mantehage Island. The questionnaire was conducted on the people on Mantehage Island with a total of 30 respondents who have plantation land on Mantehage Island. Secondary data was obtained from the Bunaken National Park Management Plan document for 2019-2028 as well as village monograph data. The results showed that there were seven stakeholders with the implementation of conservation partnerships on Mantehage Island, namely the Bunaken National Park Office, Local Communities, Village Governments and Non-Governmental Organizations as Key Players; Farmer's Group is located as Subject; Academics/Universities are located as Context Setters and Investors are located as Crowd. The results of the analysis related to the strategy of implementing conservation partnerships on Mantehage Island using the SWOT method show a position in quadrant I, namely supporting an aggressive strategy in which the implementation of conservation partnerships on Mantehage Island is supported by great strengths and opportunities.

Organizational Purpose and Performance of National Health Non-Governmental Organizations in Kenya

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of defining organizational purpose on the organizational performance of national health non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Kenya. The study utilized positivism research philosophy and cross-sectional research design. The target population of the study was 564 chief executive officers (CEOs) and program directors of 282 national NGOs registered with the NGO coordination board. A sample size of 234 was selected using a random stratified sampling technique. Data collection was through a structured questionnaire while inferential and descriptive statistical techniques were used for data analysis. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to test and explain the study hypothesis. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) Version 26 and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) version 26 software were used for the analysis. The study findings determined that defining organizational purpose had a statistically significant positive influence on organizational performance of national health NGOs in Kenya (r squared = 0.41, beta = 0.642, CR = 7.534, p < 0.05). The study concludes that defining organizational purpose is vital for the organizational performance of national health NGOs in Kenya. The study hence recommends to the top management of national health NGOs in Kenya to clearly articulate the purpose of their organizations thus making employees and managers satisfied and committed to its achievement.

Lead Industry Influence in the 21st Century: An Old Playbook for a "Modern Metal".

In recent years, lead poisoning has received increasing attention as lead production continues to grow and the industry shifts the most polluting processes (e.g., smelting ore and recycling batteries) to low- and middle-income countries. The hazards associated with lead exposures have been well known for centuries while the industry actively promoted lead products. Less well known is how the industry continues to promote the "safe and responsible" use of lead and support research to question the underlying science and avoid regulation. Here I explore the historical context for recent actions that the industry has taken to ensure its longevity. Lead industry associations continue to employ some of the same themes that have proven successful in the past. Efforts to forestall regulatory initiatives to reduce emissions and restrict lead applications continue. Large battery manufacturers and recyclers and their associations place blame on informal-sector recycling to draw focus away from their own emissions. They have sought the cooperation of hired scientific experts and have funded United Nations organizations and nongovernmental organizations to deflect attention from their own contributions to global lead poisoning. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(S7):S723-S729. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306960).

Repatriation of South Sudanese refugees from the West Nile districts, Uganda. What do we learn from the process?

Repatriation is a fundamental and often preferred solution to the refugee crisis around the world. This study explored the process of repatriation of the South Sudanese refugees from the West Nile districts in Uganda. This was a retrospective analysis of the process of repatriation of refugees in three west Nile refugee districts of Adjumani, Arua, and Moyo, Uganda. Both qualitative and qualitative data were collected. The findings showed that several stakeholders were involved in the repatriation exercise including the government at central and district levels, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations, and refugee communities. The key steps undertaken during repatriation include information and education campaigns to promote returns focussing on security and socio-economic conditions in South Sudan and the facilitation of confidence-building visits in the areas of origin. During the repatriation exercise, key interventions provided included health care screening and treatment, and the provision of reintegration support services including the provision of food security items and cash allowances. The findings highlight the fundamental steps followed during a well-planned, structured, and effective repatriation of South Sudanese refugees from Uganda. Understanding repatriation requires an appreciation of how it is implemented to support offering an effective, durable, and lasting solution to refugees to promote their health and welfare.

The Cultural Problematic in Narratives of Violence against Women and Girls in South Sudan

Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) is endemic in South Sudan. Approaches to end VAWG are barely making a dent in prevalence figures. Global evidence tells us that ending VAWG in conflict-ridden contexts is challenging on many levels. Our research points to the need for social and gender norm change approaches to be better contextualised within the political economy and through applying a nuanced critique of the role of culture in normalising many forms of VAWG. In addition, greater involvement of young people is critical as a behavioural tipping point is beginning to emerge in this group. At national level, a lack of political commitment emerges as a key challenge in ending VAWG. Drawing on the findings from 20 qualitative interviews with national civil society organisation (CSO) and non-governmental organisation’s (NGO) stakeholders, the article argues that current approaches to ending VAWG in South Sudan (and arguably elsewhere) must be reframed along a continuum of change. Activities must be supported at all levels from national through to the grassroots and be founded in a complex picture of the values and beliefs that sustain VAWG.

The Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh: an analysis of the involvement of local humanitarian actors

Since August 2017, more than 700,000 Rohingya have sought refuge in Bangladesh from neighbouring Myanmar, resulting in an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. A significant endeavour is taking place involving various humanitarian actors for the provision and overall management of the humanitarian activities in Rohingya refugee camps. The article studies the configuration and evolution of the humanitarian operations with the aim of identifying the extent of localisation, ie the involvement of the Bangladeshi actors in the management of the camps in the early stage (1–2 years) of the crisis. It employs a quantitative method by analysing the 4W data of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Segregation of humanitarian operators by national and international non-governmental organisations and a network analysis suggest that the humanitarian operations are dominated by international actors, and localisation was not achieved in the early stage of the crisis. Additionally, the article provides a profile of the humanitarian operation along with the context and background of the crisis; as such, it can be utilised by both academic and non-academic audiences.

Understanding determinants of vaccine hesitancy and acceptance in India: A qualitative study of government officials and civil society stakeholders.

IntroductionFew studies have described the drivers of vaccine hesitancy and acceptance in India from the perspective of those involved in the design and implementation of vaccine campaigns–such as government officials and civil society stakeholders–a prerequisite to developing approaches to address this barrier to high immunization coverage and further child health improvements.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study to understand government officials and civil society stakeholders’ perceptions of the drivers of vaccine hesitancy in India. We conducted in-depth phone interviews using a structured guide of open-ended questions with 21 participants from international and national non-governmental organizations, professional associations, and universities, and state and national government–six national-level stakeholders in New Delhi, six state-level stakeholders in Uttar Pradesh, six in Kerala, and three in Gujarat–from July 2020 to October 2020. We analyzed data through a multi-stage process following Grounded Theory. We present findings on individual-level, contextual, and vaccine/vaccination program-specific factors influencing vaccine hesitancy.ResultsWe identified multiple drivers and complex ways they influence vaccine beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors from the perspective of government officials and civil society stakeholders involved in vaccine campaigns. Important individual-level influences were low awareness of the benefits of vaccination, safety concerns, especially related to mild adverse events following immunization, and mistrust in government and health service quality. Contextual-level factors included communications, the media environment, and social media, which serves as a major conduit of misinformation and driver of hesitancy, as well as sociodemographic factors–specific drivers varied widely by income, education, urban/rural setting, and across religious and cultural groups. Among vaccine/vaccination-level issues, vaccine program design and delivery and the role of health care professionals emerged as the strongest determinants of hesitancy.ConclusionsDrivers of vaccine hesitancy in India, as elsewhere, vary widely by local context; successful interventions should address individual, contextual, and vaccine-specific factors. While previous studies focused on individual-level factors, our study demonstrates the equal importance of contextual and vaccine-specific influences, especially the communication and media environment, influential leaders, sociodemographic factors, and frontline health workers.

FACTORS AFFECTING DAIRY PRODUCTION AMONG DAIRY COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES IN KENYA

Purpose: Kenya’s population has continued to increase both in the rural and urban areas, with the latest population estimates showing that Kenya’s population is now over 39.8 million people. The high population creates market and price incentive for dairy production. This increased demand should trigger a corresponding increase in production. However, the gap still exists in regard to supply and demand. For this reason, the researcher therefore sought to carry out a study to determine the factors that influence dairy productivity
 Methodology: The paper used a desk study review methodology where relevant empirical literature was reviewed to identify main themes and to extract knowledge gaps.
 Results: The study found that various factors influenced dairy milk productivity such as the social economic, cattle breeds and breeding systems, availability and cost of inputs and the adoption of technology.
 Unique Contribution to Theory and Practices: Sensitization should be carried out to increase the participation of youth and women in dairy farming. Farmers should be encouraged to have succession plans in place for continuity of the dairy industry by involving their children in dairy farming. The National government, county Government and Non-Governmental organizations should look for ways of subsidizing the cost of Artificial insemination Services.

Health system resilience during COVID-19 understanding SRH service adaptation in North Kivu

BackgroundThere is often collateral damage to health systems during epidemics, affecting women and girls the most, with reduced access to non-outbreak related services, particularly in humanitarian settings. This rapid case study examines sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo when the COVID-19 hit, towards the end of an Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak, and in a context of protracted insecurity.MethodsThis study draws on quantitative analysis of routine data from four health zones, a document review of policies and protocols, and 13 key-informant interviews with staff from the Ministry of Public Health, United Nations agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations, and civil society organizations.ResultsUtilization of SRH services decreased initially but recovered by August 2020. Significant fluctuations remained across areas, due to the end of free care once Ebola funding ceased, insecurity, number of COVID-19 cases, and funding levels. The response to COVID-19 was top-down, focused on infection and prevention control measures, with a lack of funding, technical expertise and overall momentum that characterized the EVD response. Communities and civil society did not play an active role for the planning of the COVID-19 response. While health zone and facility staff showed resilience, developing adaptations to maintain SRH provision, these adaptations were short-lived and inconsistent without external support and funding.ConclusionThe EVD outbreak was an opportunity for health system strengthening that was not sustained during COVID-19. This had consequences for access to SRH services, with limited-resources available and deprioritization of SRH.

INCLUSIVE POLICIES, EXCLUSIONARY PRACTICES: UNFOLDING THE PARADOX OF PROLONGED URBAN INFORMALITY DEBATES IN URBANISING NEPAL

Social inclusion and poverty alleviation are central to the United Nations (UN) new urban agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities. In Nepal, the goal of the National Urban Agenda is to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, sustainable and smart to enhance their ability to provide decent jobs and adequate housing, infrastructure and services to the ever-growing urban population”. Against this backdrop, many international and national non-governmental organisations and the national federations of informal settlers in Nepal have been advocating for the rights of urban informal settlers to be included in the urban planning processes. In response, the Nepal government has formulated new policies to assess the “authenticity” of informal settlers and accelerate the informal to formal transition process. Drawing from the textual analysis of existing national policies, literature and media publications, in this paper, we document what (dis)connections and contradictions exist in the formal policies and interventions that the national government has designed for addressing urban informality issue and how they frame urban informality issues and the solutions to manage the same. Our analysis shows that although government policies are rhetorically inclusive and progressive, indicating a desire to resolve informality issues, policies issued by different ministries and departments are disconnected. We also find that the practices often contradict the policies, and attempts to secure transitions to formality are undermined by a failure to recognise the legitimate stake that informal settlers have in the process. We conclude by discussing how these contradictions and inconsistencies can potentially be redirected towards socially just urban transition and suggesting ways forward for addressing the protracted urban informality issue in Nepal.

Raising the Bar: The Role of the Reporting Procedure of the United Nations Human Rights Committee in the Protection of Human Rights in Africa

The United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRC) is saddled with the responsibility of supervising the implementation of the provisions of the ICCPR by its state parties. However, it is only the reporting procedure that mandates each state party to submit a report to the HRC periodically, outlining the steps it has taken to fulfil its obligations to the treaty. Over the years, it was observed that states tend to embellish these reports before submitting them to the HRC because it had no means of checking the veracity of the contents of the reports. Consequently, the HRC has continued to introduce novel ways of checking the accuracy of the state parties’ reports, which includes the Committee partnering with National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) within the territories of state parties. This is to monitor the implementation of the provisions of the ICCPR and submit alternative reports to the HRC for it to have a more objective perspective on the level of the state compliance. To examine the effectiveness of the reporting procedure among African state parties, two states (Morocco and Rwanda) have been selected with the aim of gauging the effect of the reporting procedure in influencing state parties to fulfil their obligations to the treaty. In the course of the study, the jurisprudence of the HRC and domestic legislation of states were analysed and it is observed that for the HRC to be more effective it needs more visibility, especially within the African Continent.

Short communication: The global health community needs to start planning for the impact of the climate crisis on maternal and newborn health

The climate crisis will worsen already high rates of maternal and newborn mortality and adverse birth outcomes, exacerbating existing inequities between and within countries. Governments should consider beginning plans for responses now, engaging with partners such as national and international non-governmental organizations, local civil society groups, the private sector and donors, and the wider global community, to commence implementation of relevant policy and health service delivery measures while accelerating ongoing efforts to better improve maternal and newborn health.

A systematic review: Male engagement in adolescent and young adults’ sexual and reproductive health in the Americas

Progress towards sexual and reproductive health (SRH) goals for adolescents across the Americas has stagnated. Of all the regions worldwide, Latin America has experienced the slowest decline in adolescent fertility rates. Reports published by the United Nations and multiple nongovernmental organizations demonstrate a growing consensus for a masculinities framework that engages men and boys in public health and social change. Male engagement acts as a complement - and not a replacement - of current SRH. Emerging evidence indicates that Coronavirus disease in 2019 has worsened SRH outcomes, especially related to gender-based violence; new evidence-based interventions are ever more urgent. This systematic review includes a focus on education-based male engagement, a special consideration of gender equity, and systematic searches by fluent speakers in three most populous languages in the Americas (English, Spanish, and Portuguese). PubMed, EBSCO, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar databases were digitally searched. Publications were excluded if their focus did not align directly with sexual reproductive health, their location was outside the scope of study, its content derived from information collected before 2010, or its study’s population’s age of focus was not between 15-24 years of age. After abstract screening and full-text review, the original 10,721 articles identified were narrowed down to 13 articles whose references were further examined through hand searching, leading us to a total of 32 final articles chosen for analysis. The results were classified by geographic regions of the American continent. The literature emphasized that society often defines masculinity as a hegemonic role grounded in aggressive high-risk sexual behavior. Adolescent males internalize this and hold their peers to these expectations. These beliefs have detrimental SRH consequences that have yet to be fully understood among adolescent boys and males. The efficacy of future interventions will depend on further exploration of these topics, especially among minority populations.

Exemplars in vaccine delivery protocol: a case-study-based identification and evaluation of critical factors in achieving high and sustained childhood immunisation coverage in selected low-income and lower-middle-income countries

IntroductionIncreases in global childhood vaccine delivery have led to decreases in morbidity from vaccine-preventable diseases. However, these improvements in vaccination have been heterogeneous, with some countries demonstrating greater levels of...

Стратегические возможности библиотек в эпоху цифровизации и экономики впечатлений

Introduction. Modern libraries do their best to increase public access to relevant information and knowledge with the help of modern digital technologies. Libraries supported by national governments and international non-governmental organizations provide the development of all sectors of society. Therefore, new opportunities for libraries are an important strategic task both for the state and the libraries themselves. The current global practices of diversifying library activities proved quite effective as they meet the challenges of digitalization and experience economy. However, they should be implemented with respect to the national specifics of the domestic library system. Study objects and methods. The present research was based on the theory and methodology of strategizing developed by V.L. Kvint, Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Honored Worker of the Higher School of the Russian Federation. His scientific theses have been successfully implemented in a number of regional and sectoral strategies. According to the general methodology of strategizing, any search for new opportunities should be preceded by a detailed analysis of global, sectoral, and regional trends. Results and discussion. The present strategic analysis of trends and forecasts for the library industry development in Russia and worldwide revealed a number of unique opportunities, which allow libraries to fit into the life of modern society and endow them with such socially significant functions as education, enlightenment, and promotion of cultural and moral values among young readers. However, the window of opportunities is always short-lived: the libraries should seize the moment to ensure their systematic and progressive development, which is possible only through the development of an effective strategy. Conclusion. The article introduces unique strategic opportunities for the development of the library system in Russia. The authors analyzed the best practices applied by famous libraries in their search for new roles and the domestic library industry in order to determine the strategic directions for the library development in the era of digitalization and experience economy.

The Role of NGOs in International Relations and Public Diplomacy

The paper examines Russia’s and the EU’s approaches to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as instruments of public diplomacy (PD). As the EU and Russia increasingly instrumentalize NGOs in their foreign policy, which seems to erode trust in their already burdened relations, the topic presents an opportunity to compare the mechanisms of government–NGO interaction in Russia and EU. The specifi c forms, roots, and aims of this phenomenon have often been overlooked in academic research. To these ends, the author looks into diff erent views and practices of Brussels and Moscow in terms of supporting and fi nancing NGOs in the sphere of public diplomacy. The study demonstrates that the EU’s approach is characterized by signifi cant funding of NGOs abroad as part of governmental public diplomacy eff orts. On the other hand, the Russian approach is mostly characterized by funding of national NGOs, which then implement public diplomacy projects aligned with government policies abroad.